The Key to Time
by John Sayers
Summary: Somedays are special. Somedays are so, so blessed. Somedays nobody dies at all. Now and then, every once is very long while, everyday in a million days when the wind stands fare and the Doctor comes to call, everybody lives.
1. There Is a Way

**The Key to Time**

**Chapter 1: There Is A Way**

June 3, 2011 was the day it all ended. It was the day the Doctor, Harper and I barely survived the Daleks. We've been on the run ever since. We've been running for twenty years. The Doctor has barely aged if at all, but Harper and I are now thirty eight years old. This was not the life I had envisioned when I was still a teenager those two decades ago. We do find a certain civilization now and then, but they are tiny and have been in the shadow of the Daleks for far too long to be any larger. The universe is dying and we've been searching for this one thing that can reverse all of this. We've found all but one segment. We can't find the sixth and final piece for some reason. We've been searching for that segment for years, but I can tell that something is about to give. I can feel it, but for now, this is the story of the last twenty years. This is the story of us searching for the all powerful Key to Time, and it all starts on that fateful day twenty years ago.

**TARDIS**

**June 3, 2011**

"We have to do something," Alex pleaded, "We need to do something."

"Alex is right, Doctor. We have to do something," Harper pleaded with Alex.

"What can we do?" asked the Doctor, "The universe is..." The Doctor stopped and looked at Alex's necklace again and said to himself, "The key in the clock. Why is that so important?"

Alex looked at her necklace and said, "I don't know. I just found it and I liked it. I guess it's something like a key to time or something."

The Doctor's eyes widened as he realized their was something that he could do. It was a long shot at best, but it was better than nothing at all. He muttered, "That's it."

"What it?" asked Alex.

"You a key to time," said the Doctor.

"I know," said Alex.

"That the answer. The Key to Time itself," said the Doctor.

"What's the Key to Time?" asked Alex.

"It's the most powerful artifact of all time. If you think your magic is powerful, you ain't seen nothin' yet. The Key to Time is split up into six segments across all of time and space. They can take any form or be anything or anyone," the Doctor explained.

"So you're saying that this will fix everything and make it right?" asked Harper.

"Yes, it will. It's a long shot, but it's better than no shot at all, isn't it?" asked the Doctor.

"Anything is better than no shot at all," Alex replied.

"You're right," said the Doctor, "We are at least one sixth the way there."

"What are you talking about?" asked Alex.

The Doctor took of his necklace that had a stone at the end on it. He said, "This is called the Moment. Its the super weapon I used to end the Time War. It is the most powerful stone in all Creation."

"What about the Stone of Dreams?" asked Alex, "That's incredibly powerful."

"Sorry this is more powerful," said the Doctor, "More powerful than your Stone of Dream thing, but that's not important. What's important is that a Key to Time detector. I really don't remember to my last one."

"Last one?" asked Harper.

"I've kind of assembled the Key to Time before. It was to help the White Guardian to restore balance to the universe and that was when I first met...when I first met Romana," said the Doctor, "Now, I'm going to restore balance and life to the universe myself. I have to do this. I can't believe I was giving up. What's wrong with me? That's not like me at all is it?"

"No, Doctor, it's not. If there is one who never gives up, it's definitely you," said Harper, "Just ask my feet and legs from that day we were hunting for that shapeshifter. I couldn't feel the lower half of my body."

"I remember that," said the Doctor.

"That's good," said Harper, "Because I will never let you forget it."

The Doctor didn't reply and changed the subject, "Okay, how to find a Key to Time detector. How to find that detector?"

Alex looked around and didn't know where to begin to look for one. Harper didn't even bother doing anything. The Doctor sighed and asked, "Do you guys know where?"

"Not a clue," said Alex.

"Well this plan went south fast," said the Doctor. He sat down on the new stone floor of the TARDIS control room. He moved his lips as he thought about what to do next. He looked up and said, "I could try to do that?"

Alex and Harper looked at the Doctor and Alex asked him, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to try and contact my one of my previous lives," the Doctor explained, "I'm going to try and contact my fourth life. That was the last time I assembled the Key to Time. I don't really remember where I put the detector in the first place. I'm going to try and tell Four to put it somewhere that I can find it today, but where, but where, but where?"

"Doctor," said Alex, "I have an idea."

"Where?" asked the Doctor.

"The Hall of Doctors," Alex answered him.

The Doctor looked at her with fire in his eyes, "That's right. That's the only place where it's practically been the same since it was first built."

"What's the Hall of Doctors?" asked Harper.

"Alex, tell her. I'm to go and try to contact my fourth self," the Doctor said.

"Okay," said Alex.

The Doctor walked across the control room and put his hands on his temple and closed his eyes. The Doctor's mind went back. It went back farther and farther. It passed the mind of Thirteen, then Twelve, Eleven, Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five and finally it reached Four. "Hello, Four, I need your help."  
Alex turned back to Harper when the Doctor seemed to make contact with his fourth life. She told Harper about the TARDIS's Hall of Doctors, "The Hall of Doctors is where the Doctor's previous lives or selves."

"Oh his previous incarnations," said Harper.

"Yes, I guess," said Alex, "Anyway whenever he dies and regenerates, the life that just ended is sent to the Hall of Doctors so that he can be remembered in the future by his future selves and some of the things that that Doctor wore and had with him were added to the display."

"So it's like a museum, but he's the exhibit," Harper replied, "That's just weird."

Back on the other side of the control room, the Doctor had reached a connection with his fourth self and had told him the situation as vaguely as he could not to reveal any details about the future. Four was reluctant as first, but eventually conceded to doing what Fourteenth wanted. The Fourth Doctor said he would put the detector in the Hall of Doctors and disguised it as his sonic screwdriver. The Doctor thanked four and came back to the current day. He opened his eyes and put his hands down. He walked over to Alex and Harper and said, "He did it. We need to get to the Hall of Doctors and get the detector."

Alex and Harper followed the Doctor to the Hall of Doctors, but only he went inside. He was back out in a minute with something that looked like a wand to Alex. It had and orange handle and was clear beyond that with a white center. Alex even stated that to the Doctor, "That looks like a wand, Doctor."

He looked at it and said, "Huh, maybe, but you have to remember this detector is far older. The more likely scenario is that your wands were designed after this detector right here."

Alex just said, "Oh."

The Doctor could tell that it was starting to sink in to Alex, that her family was dead and she was one of only two humans left in all Creation. Harper was silent most of the time anyway and it was sinking in for her as well. The Doctor was hurting with the loss of the friends that he had made, but was an expert at hiding his pain. That was something he was all too good at. He didn't say anything more and walked back to the control room. The two human girls followed him. He put his hands on his new console and his head down.

"Doctor, what is it?" asked Alex.

"Alex, Harper, why don't you go to your rooms and get some rest," the Doctor said, "We can deal with the whole Key to Time thing later, but right now we are safe inside the Time Vortex. We can mourn the passing of loved ones. You will need to get that out. You don't need to keep all that sadness and anger inside of you. You need to no matter how hard it is."  
"Doctor," said Alex. Her voice was crushed again.

"Alex, if you need to talk, I'll be here," said the Doctor. He looked at Harper and told her, "You too."

"What?" asked Harper.

"If you need to talk, you can come talk to me," the Doctor explained to her.

"What about you, Doctor?" asked Alex.

The Doctor looked the two of them and said, "I'll deal with. It's not the first time I've lost people. No matter how many die, it never gets easier. The last one is usually just as bad as the first one, but I always go on."

Alex nodded and told the Doctor, "I'm here for you too."  
"We both are," said Harper, "You can try to hide it, but we both see it. We both see you hurting over your past sometimes."

"Yeah, I bet," said the Doctor. He was silent after that. The Daleks returning had churned up emotions in the Doctor he hadn't had in a long, long time. Those monsters had come back and had a force to slaughter the universe. That did not sit with the Doctor. He was being eaten away at him. He hated them with everything he was. Every fiber of his being was filled with undying hatred for those overgrown plunger armed salt shakers.

Alex and Harper knew they wouldn't get anything else out of the Doctor and they decided to go and let the truth start to sink in. They went silently to both rooms and the Doctor looked up at the new red crystal control column. He knew how much of a long shot the whole Key to Time business was. There would be dangers and threats that Alex and Harper had never even imagined. The thing that worried the Doctor the most was that if the Daleks had broken the Time Lock, that would mean other things could escape and the last thing he wanted to escape the Time Lock was the Time Lords.


	2. Alex

**Chapter 2: Alex**

Alex walked to her room and she sat down on her bed. Back in December during Christmas, she was so excited to be in the TARDIS and dreamt of the day that she would travel with the Doctor. She dreamt about flying to different planet and traveling through time. She wanted to meet aliens and monsters. She wanted to see her planets future and the wonders of the universe.

Right before the Doctor stormed into her life a year ago, she was just going through another year at her high school Tribeca Prep. She was just another junior even though she had her magic. She didn't think anything could go wrong and she thought everything would still be there the next day. Then in June last year, the Doctor came into her life. He turned it upside down within the first day. She was used to having a freaky and wild day with all her magic and the things associated with it, but when the Doctor came into her life and all of his alien and foreign things, her life got tossed and turned even more. She almost died during that first day when the Hoixes had come.

He had shown her that there was more to live than using her magic all the time to get things done. He told her that she had enough power in her mind and soul. He had the most patience with her compared to anyone else. She didn't know why, but she could tell another trouble maker when she saw one and she a massive trouble maker in the Doctor. Unlike her, the Doctor's trouble making days were long gone. They were buried under decades and centuries of pain and loss and suffering, but their was also happiness, love and hope. All of those were wrapped up inside him and Alex saw that the trouble maker in the Doctor was all but gone and dead, but there was one in the Doctor nonetheless.

Over the next year, all Alex could think about was leaving Earth behind and travel the stars and time with the Doctor. She imagined how it was out there among the other planets. She wanted to see the skies of aliens worlds and run through fields of different colored grasses, alien forests, extraterrestrial landscapes. She wanted to meet different civilizations in both the present, past, and future. She could go and travel to different worlds, but she couldn't travel that far away. She had been to Mars, but she had not been to any other planets. The Doctor and her talked about both their travels to Mars and she realized how lucky she was. Other than Mars, Alex hadn't been to any other worlds. Her magic, which was now gone, could only get her to places inside this corner of the galaxy. She went through all of those dreams for the last twelve months.

Now, though, there was nothing to look forward to. She was with the Doctor and going to travel with him, but that doesn't matter. The price was too high for her. All those people had lost their lives. She was the only survivor of her family, but Harper had survived with her so that had helped a bit, but not as much as she wanted. She was going to travel the stars and go through time, but the chances are the worlds she will eventually visit and see will be overrun and killed by the Daleks. She never understood why the Doctor had hated the Daleks so much, but now after she saw their carnage first hand, she could see why he hated them with every fiber of his being. They were monsters and didn't have any emotions or remorse. They were merciless and filled with hate. Her hair stands on end whenever she hears that voice, that cold, calculating and emotionless voice. Her blood would now whenever she would hear the Daleks voice again.

Alex wanted all of this to be over. She hoped the Doctor's plan to find and assembled the Key to Time. She never heard of that key. She didn't know how powerful it was, but from the way the Doctor said, the key was incredibly powerful. He had described the key as a giant reset button and she wanted that. She could use a giant reset button right now. She wished she could go back to her graduation party that had happened in the early afternoon of June 3, 2011. Within the course of several hours, her life was not turned upside down, it was practically destroyed.

She was starting to realize that she was one of the last human beings in existence. Harper was the only other one. She realized this is how the Doctor must feel all the time. She started to get teary eyed. Emotions flooded into her head and mind. She was crushed and saddened and hurt by everything that had happened. She lost her family, her home, her city, her world, her species. She only had two things left. She had her Doctor and Harper. She remembered she had the TARDIS. She had her TARDIS. She loved the ship. They had a connection with each other, but she knew that she didn't have the same connection to the TARDIS as the Doctor did. The Doctor and the TARDIS's bond was unbreakable. They basically the same being, but with two different personalities. Alex thought about that connection and wished she shared that connection with the TARDIS.

For now, Alex's mind was back on the loss of her family. Her eyes teared up and she lost it. She laid down on her bed face first and she buried her face in her pillow. She started crying her eyes out. She had never felt anything like this. It was a strong feeling of emptiness and loneliness. She hated it. She wailed and time was no more for her. She was lost in her hurt and pain. She wanted everything to be the way the it was before, but she didn't know how. She eventually cried herself to sleep and for a brief moment in time she was no longer alone. Her family lived on in her dreams.


	3. Harper

**Chapter 3: Harper**

Harper didn't know where to go. She was not with Alex or the Doctor when Alex chose her room to stay in those several months ago. She didn't choose to come with Doctor and she was still debating whether she should go with him at the time of the graduation party. She had grown to like all the stuff with the Doctor and would like to go with him, but there was Alex. She didn't want to get in between her and the Doctor. They were close and Harper didn't want to feel left out. She knew that the two of them were growing inseparable, but Harper also noticed that the Doctor was more guarded of his emotions. He didn't like to get close to anyone anymore because of all the things he had been through.

Harper finally found the bedrooms and just chose the first empty one she found. She sat down on the bed and didn't know what to think about what just happened. It went by so fast. The family she had known her whole and had been living with for the last year and a half had been killed all within an hour along with most of the human race. She had realized that her and Alex were the last two humans to exist. She didn't want to say anything about it. It was far too strange and hard to comprehend, but she had to keep going. She laid down on her bed and looked up at the white ceiling in the bedroom she chose. She had lost everything in one day. She had her best friend Alex, but nothing else. No, there was her life.

She had her life, but she didn't know if that was any good at all. Why was she one of the ones to live? What made her special? Why did she have to live when so many others died? Harper put her hands over her face. She couldn't think about it that way. She was not responsible for any of this. None of this was because of her and she could have done nothing to prevent all of this from happening. She shouldn't think about all of that because there was no reason. She knew why she had survived. She had the Doctor with her and she knew that she survived the rubble in the tower because Justin guarded her from the debris. None of this was her doing, but she couldn't help herself about thinking that she should have died. She should have died, but fate didn't let her. Fate kept her alive. Why did it do that? What was so special about her? She couldn't think of any answers for any of those questions. Her head started hurting with all of these questions and truths.

She knew why she was feeling this way, this guilty. It was survivor's guilt. She was feeling guilty because all those others had been killed and she was the one to survive. She was one of only two to survive. She tried her hardest not to feel guilty, but she couldn't. She knew after the guilt there would be a sense of loneliness to hit her when the reality of the situation would hit her. She used to be so carefree and making all of her outfits, and now nothing would be the same. She had a hard time wrapping her mind around it.

She sat up in her bed and looked around for something that could take her mind off of her emotions. She knew she had to let it all out, but she was too bad about bottling up her emotions. She would let them simmer and simmer until they exploded out. She stood up and walked around the room. It was just like a normal room back on Earth, but everything was white. She thought that the whole place looked basic and nothing more. She thought that it could use a remodel.

"You know there was nothing you could do, right?" asked a male voice from behind Harper.

Harper turned around and saw the man she had seen in the TARDIS send everyone away. He was dressed in all white, but now his hair and beard were brown. She asked him, "Who are you? What are you?"

"Just an old acquaintance of the Doctor," the man said, "His TARDIS may be powerful and able to things out, but I'm a little more powerful than anything you or the Russos have ever encountered."

"Can you fix all of this?" asked Harper.

"I could fix all of this, but I won't," said the man.

"Why not?" asked Harper, "If you're that powerful, why not do something!"

"Because I'm protecting you," the man said, "There are five others us my kind out there and we have an agreement. We can meddle in certain peoples lives, but over a universal scale like this, the agreement will be broken and the other will able to manipulate the universe."

"Is that bad?" asked Harper.

"You have no idea," said the man.

"Why are you here?" asked Harper.

"I can meddle in certain people's lives. In other words, your lives are fair game to meddle in, and the Doctor is the most influential being in the universe. If there is one man that can save everything, it's the Doctor. I'll drop him hints, but in the end he will figure it out and in his time of need you will be there."

"What does that mean?" asked Harper.

"The time will come and you will find out when you need to be the voice of reason to the Doctor when all reason is lost," said the man.

"What? That's what that siren thing told me last month," said Harper.

"Of course she told you that because she was an agent of mine," said the man.

"How would I know that?" Harper asked.

"You just have to trust me on that one, Harper," the man told her.

"How do you know my name?" asked Harper nervously.

"I just know these things. I know that you and Alex have been best friends since you were incredibly young and now you two are like sisters. You are three months older than Alex. You are an only child and you have a bad habit of bottling up your emotions when you should let them out."

"How do you know all of that?" asked Harper.

"You're not the only one I know about. The Doctor is in his fourteenth incarnation and it is his longest lived incarnation. He surpassed his fourth life's lifespan a couple centuries ago and I know the deep, dark secret that he hides so far down inside that it eats away at him. He will tell you that secret. It is not my right to tell you that," the man continued.

Harper found herself trusting this man in white and she had no idea why. She didn't even know who this man was, but he seemed to know everything about her, Alex and even the Doctor whose secrets are nearly impossible to find out or even comprehend. She had to know why and asked, "Why do I trust you? I don't even know you and you just appeared in the TARDIS. No one is just supposed to appear in the TARDIS."  
The man smiled, "That's just me. People can't help but trust me. Unlike most others with that ability, I will not abuse. It goes against my nature to be like that. The reason I was able to get onboard the TARDIS is that I am far more powerful than even the strongest TARDIS the Time Lords created. I am incredibly powerful, but do not make the mistake of calling me all-powerful. The Key to Time is more powerful than me, but not as powerful as the full transcendental beings."

"What does that mean?" Harper asked.

"It means something very difficult for you to understand," said the man, "But my time is up and I must be off."

"But who are you?" asked Harper.

"Think of me as a guardian angel," the man said. He remembered something important and said, "Don't you tell the Doctor. He cannot know about me being here. If he does, this whole plan to reboot life in the universe could head south. He may be a genius, but he's impossibly impulsive sometimes. He gets his mind set on something and he won't let go. Lately though he's gotten better. I guess that comes with his age, but the point is don't tell him okay?"

"Okay, I won't," said Harper, "But I want to..."

Harper didn't finish because the man in the room vanished. There was no sign he was even there. Harper sat down on her bed to try figure out what the heck that was all about.


	4. The Doctor

**Chapter 4: The Doctor**

The Doctor slammed his fist down on the control console. The TARDIS whirred at his harshly. He apologized, but he was so angry and enraged that the Daleks had returned. It never failed. They survived. They always survive. When he loses everything, the Daleks survive. He can never win in that category, but he would always beat them in the end. It was just this time he didn't know if he could win. He never faced a force of that many Daleks before without the Time Lords there to keep them off of his back. He looked at the red crystal that was now the control column and he tried to simmer down, but nothing was working. He knew the Key was the only way to save life in the universe. It was hard enough the first time to assemble the Key, but now with a Dalek force of one million battleships and billions of Dalek units, this was going to be a tough one.

This was going to be a long road and he knew it. He didn't know how many years would take, but the last time it took over a hundred years to assemble the Key to Time. He didn't really care that time. He had Romana with him and she was a Time Lady which made her age just like him. Humans weren't so good at aging they would die within the first several decades. He wasn't going to stop though. He made a promise to Jerry before Jerry died. The Doctor told Jerry that he would make it all right and the Doctor planned on keeping that promise he made. He wasn't one on breaking promises. He hated that and he wasn't going to break this one. The stakes were way too high.

He was starting to feel a little calmer, but he still had hatred fuming inside of him. He couldn't help but think of them. He hated those monsters with every single fiber, molecule, atom of his body. He once tried to talk to talk to the Daleks and reason with them several times during his tenth incarnation, but he was young and foolish then, but now he hates them. The Doctor doesn't care about them anymore. He was going to kill every last fraking Dalek if it cost him all of his incarnations. They were the one race in all of Creation that he hated. He hated them far too much. His rants against them had gotten him the most insulting comment ever. One Daleks told him that he would make a good Dalek. A Dalek told him that he would make a good Dalek. The Doctor's rage was triggered again by this memory.

The sat down next to the control console and thought that he should not let his hatred for the Daleks cloud his judgments. He needed to be extremely clear headed for the days, months, years, and maybe even decades to come. He knew that Harper and Alex may become numb to the hunt if it went on for too long, but the Doctor would never give up. He wouldn't allow himself to that. He took comfort in the fact that he had one of the six segments already. The Moment, the superweapon that used to wipe out the Time Lords and Daleks at the end of the Last Great Time War, was the segment. The single segment was powerful enough to wipe out two entire species and Time Lock the War. It was able to do that then when time was weak because of the constant battles between the Daleks and Time Lords. Now that time had healed, he needed the other five segments to stop the Daleks and save the lives of all those who have died. The sixth segment was going to be the hardest. That segment would be in the form of a sentient being to provide a moral issue for the one trying to assemble the Key to Time. The last time that happened for him was with Princess Astria of Astros. Eventually she was returned to her human like form, and the Key segment integrated itself into another person. The Doctor would confront that when the time came, but the main problem the Doctor had was when the Key was assembled. He might become tempted by its power and the Doctor could use it to rewrite the Time War and let the Time Lords live. He hoped he would be strong enough not to let that happen. He believed in himself too much for that to happen, but he couldn't tell if he would become that tempted in the future until he was there.

The Doctor rubbed his face and cleared his head of all those thoughts. His rage was gone and he was getting depressed. Why did the Daleks always return? He couldn't understand why they always came back, and now this time they took something away from him. It was something special. The Daleks took away the Russos from him. He finally found a place that was almost as wacky and dysfunctional as his life and he considered them his family. He never found anyone like that in his travels. He was finally happy for the first time in a long time and those monsters had to come back into his life and ruin all he had come to love. They always did that and it all culminated into the destruction of Gallifrey and the Time Lords. He guessed it couldn't be helped. He has been locked in war with the Daleks ever since he was in his first incarnation and met them back on Skaro with Susan, Ian and Barbara. He was even there when they were created. He was there when Davros creating them, and he though about all the times they had met.

He got off of his history lesson and jumped to his feet. He took the Key to Time detector and placed it into a port on the control console. The detector lit up and the console lit up with it like a Christmas tree. There was a big ding and the Doctor looked at the control console. He said to himself, "Well, that was fast."

The Key to Time detector had detected a segment to the Key to Time. Time to get the troops ready for trouble. For the last year, the Doctor had been in the Russos playground, but now everything is in the Doctor's playground. He would let them rest and he would get some too before they would go out and search for that segment. The search would start tomorrow.


	5. The Moment and Segment Two

**Chapter 5: The Moment and Segment Two**

The Doctor woke up before Alex and Harper did. He knew at least on them cried themselves to sleep and he was certain it was Alex. Harper was silent most of the night. She probably hid her feeling inside her. That was just how Harper was.

The Doctor went into the control room and wasn't used to its new appearance. After six hundred years of the concert hall, it was weird seeing it as anything different. He did like it though. He loved the brown rock walls and the dark brown stone floor. The control column reached to the ceiling this time and was a column of red crystal. He personally loved that bit. The console looked like a hybrid between rock and computers. There were several exit points and the doorway out of the TARDIS was about ten feet above the console and a ramp could access it. He was certain it was the cave skin for his TARDIS interior. His whole TARDIS would look like this with the exception of the private bedrooms. He checked the console and sure enough it was the cave setting. He wasn't going to use it. The name to him sounded ominous, but now he realized it was one of the best looking ones. He wasn't going to change it anytime soon.

Over night several stone chairs had come up out of the floor. One of them was right next to the control console and the Doctor sat in that one. He looked over the location of the second segment for the Key to Time. It was in the future in the year 422,152. That was the year the siren had told him her prophecies, but it was not from the planet Night. It was coming from the planet Oceans. Oceans was one of the planets he found the most peculiar. It was two massive oceans, hence the name, and a tiny strip of land wrapping around the planet at its equator. The two oceans were either the North Ocean or the South Ocean. He smiled and thought about the 'originality' of the humans. The land strip, however, was actually very original. It was called Magellan's Rings. Magellan was strictly used by humans and that made it original because humans only knew who Magellan was. The strip of land wasn't that wide. It was a mile wide at its narrowest point, but reached up to twenty miles wide at its widest point and that's where the human city of New Corinth was going to be placed if he ever fixed this. He read the screen and was able to determine that the planet itself was not the segment. He had to make sure because the planet Callufrax was a segment to the Key and it took him a while to figure out what was going on.

He could tell what the segment was going to be without being on the planet itself. He took the TARDIS out of temporal orbit and placed it in stationary orbit surrounding Oceans. He scanned the whole planet and found out the Daleks hadn't reached Oceans yet. He assumed it was because the Daleks didn't care about wiping out plant life or animal life until all sentient life was gone first. They got the bigger and better out of the way first. The Doctor was going to wait until the girls woke up before he landed on the planet itself. In the meantime, he took the segment called the Moment off of his neck and the detector out of the TARDIS port. The detector stopped glowing and the Doctor put the Moment down on the console. He touched it with the detector and the Moment warped its shape into a clear puzzle piece with a bluish tint to it. He smiled and put the detector in his pocket. He took the segment and put that in a separate pocket. He opened a control panel that was hidden on the TARDIS wall opposite the entrance. He pressed several codes into the system and pushed and pulled two levers in systematic order. When that was finished he pushed another code in and out of the wall a doorway appeared. He opened it and a slight vacuum poured out before the whole thing was pressurized. The Doctor walked into the room and the door shut behind him. There was a safe in the room and the Doctor took the detector out and put it in the key hole on the safe. He put in another code with the dial control. The safe scanned him and eventually opened. He took the segment out and placed it inside. He shut the safe and the detector was eased out of the safe's key hole. The Doctor took the detector and placed it back in his pocket. He opened the door and left the room. When he shut the door again, it was camouflaged to where only he would know exactly where it was.

He walked to control chair and sat down in it and was going to wait for Alex and Harper to wake up. He put some music on in the control room. It was in his native Gallifrean language with was far too advanced for most species to pronounce, but humans were one of the few that could if they had too. They could hear it and maybe even understand it, but their ability to actually say it is something completely different and was much harder to do. That's where the translation circuit came in handy back when he brought humans to Gallifrey. He was ready to go out, but first he needed all the relaxation he could get because if he didn't, he would go nuts when he was down on the planet below. The Doctor sat back in the chair which was cushioned for some reason, but he didn't care. He put his feet on the control console. He pulled out a book from Gallifrey itself. It was old and tattered in places, but it was one of his favorites from the generally boring Gallifrean literature. He opened the book and started reading it. It was written in his native Gallifrean language and was called _The Power of the Fendahl_. He was reading it again for what seemed like the hundredth time, but he enjoyed too much and it always cleared his head when he needed it to do that. He didn't know why this book was his favorite but it was. The minutes passed and turned into hours. Eventually the Doctor faded away and fell asleep in his chair. It may have relaxed him too much, but he would need in the time to come. Everyone would need as much rest as they could get.


	6. Harper: The Tiny, Unimportant Girl

**Chapter 6  
Harper: The Tiny, Unimportant Girl **

Harper was the first one to wake up. She walked back to the control room and found the Doctor asleep in one the chairs with a book laying over his chest. Harper didn't say anything and she walked up to the console and noticed that the viewscreen from the ceiling was on a planet. It was a planet that was made up of two massive oceans and a strip of land on the planet's equator. She walked to one of the other chairs that were in the open space to the left of the control console. She sat down and waited for the Doctor to wake up. She didn't want to walk around the TARDIS and get lost so she just waited. She wanted to tell the Doctor about the man who had appeared in her room the night before, but decided against it considering how powerful the man seemed to be.

She only had to wait a few minute when the Doctor woke up. He put the book back into his pocket and rubbed his face while yawning. He shook a bit and stood up. He stretched and turned around. He saw Harper sitting down and asked, "How long have you been up?"

"Only a few minutes," Harper answered him. She asked him, "What's with the ocean planet?"

"That is where the Key segment is located," said the Doctor, "The planet is named Oceans."

"Oceans?" asked Harper, "That's a little unoriginal isn't it?"

"Human named it. I didn't," said the Doctor, "So blame your own people and not me."

"Are we that unoriginal in the future?" asked Harper.

"Yes, and you are quite original as well. You humans are one of the biggest contradictions in the universe. That's one reason why I love you guys," said the Doctor.

Harper was touched and said, "Awwwww, you love us."

"I did choose humans over the Time Lords and I am doing this to bring back four people Four unimportant, ordinary people who are just another face in the universe," said the Doctor.

"Who are you talking about?" asked Harper.

"The Russos," said the Doctor, "The tiny, unimportant Russos in the whole great universe. Just an ordinary family."

"They are not ordinary," said Harper.

"Harper, when you have seen all the things I have, they are normal," said the Doctor.

"Well I guess, but calling them unimportant and tiny is insulting," said Harper, "Am I like that?"

"Yes, you are, Harper," said the Doctor, "I mean look at you. You aren't the least bit important to the universe."

"That's boosting my self-esteem," Harper shot.

"But those are the most threatening people," the Doctor said, "The ones the universe sees as just another person, unimportant in any way, but if those ordinary people take a stand and fight for what they want, they will be the most influential of people. They are the most dangerous and powerful people. Every great hero or monstrous villain has started out as just an ordinary person. When I was born, I was just another Time Lord. I was destined to go to the Academy at age 8 and look into the Untempered Schism. I was destined for a century or study and a life of duty. I grew in my abilities and against a lot of opposition, I made it into the 92nd Deca of Gallifrey. That was the most 10 gifted Time Lords for that generation. After that I was just another Time Lord working in the Citadel, but then the day came where I couldn't take it anymore so I rebelled and left my home. Ever since then, I have been running and doing things in the universe and now after the Last Great Time War, the mere mention of my name can strike fear and terror or hope and light to species and races. I was once an unimportant, ordinary man on my planet, but in the end I am now one of the most known things in all Creation."

"So what are you saying then?" asked Harper.

"I am saying that you, little unimportant Harper Finkle, have the potential to become something powerful and dangerous. You just need to find the drive and will within you to start that," the Doctor said, "Alex has that drive in her, but she doesn't know which was is the best, and she hasn't gotten the full drive in her to do that yet. I've been trying to unlock all of it."  
"Really?" asked Harper.

"Yes, really. I've seen it in you as well, Harper," the Doctor told her, "You were once terrified of me and you didn't want to have anything to do with me, but eventually you found out that you could do those things and you loved it. I know you want to come with me."  
"How?" asked Harper. She felt like she had been caught red handed.

"I can see it in almost anyone's eyes who want to go with me," said the Doctor, "Why do you want to go with me?"

"I don't know," said Harper, "I just want to be able to..."

"To do more," the Doctor finished her statement, "You want to be able to go somewhere and see things. You want to go and help people. It's in your heart, Harper."

"You're right," Harper confirmed the Doctor's suspicions, "I felt like I could do so much more if I went with you."

"You can, but you could do stuff like that back on Earth," said the Doctor.

"Doctor, Earth is gone and the only future I have is with you and Alex inside the TARDIS," Harper said.

"But you want Earth back don't you?" asked the Doctor.

"Of course, Doctor," said Harper, "I'll do anything to get it back."

"Then that's what we are doing. I can't bring back Gallifrey, but I can help a couple of close friend bring back Earth. When the Key is assemble, we will bring back Earth and everyone. It will all be made right," the Doctor said.

"Are you sure, Doctor?" asked Harper.

"Yes, I am," the Doctor told her, "I won't stop until Earth and the universe for that matter is brought back to its previous state. The Daleks will not win this battle. I will destroy them if I have to, but everything will be made right, Harper. I promise you that."

The TARDIS viewscreen went out and the Doctor looked up at it along with Harper. Then words started ticking across the viewscreen. It stated, "A girl at the heart of it all."

"What does that mean?" asked the Doctor.

"I have no idea," replied Harper.

The screen went black again and the world of Oceans popped back on there.

"That was weird," said Harper.

"To say the least," replied the Doctor. He would get to that later. He turned to Harper and asked, "How are you doing?"

"With what?" asked Harper even though she knew what he was talking about.

"With losing your world and your people," said the Doctor, "That pain stings and it numbs you. You can't keep it in because it will eat and eat away at you. I did the same thing your doing and eventually my darkness had manifested into its own person. Humans can't do that, but they become angry and bitter."

"I know, Doctor," Harper said. She knew he was right. She shouldn't hold it in, but that's all she did in her life. Her home was not a place where emotions were stable. She found it better to bury them and then they would erupt out later. She said, "It's all I've ever done, hold in my emotions."

"I know," the Doctor said, "I do think you will be able to deal with this before Alex will. She lost her entire family in one horrible act of violence."

Harper noticed the Doctor get unnaturally uneasy when he talked about the act of violence. It was a different reaction than the one he had for the War. She asked him, "Did you lose your family in one act of violence?"

"I lost my wife, children and grandchildren with the exception of my granddaughter Susan in an attack," said the Doctor, "I later found out that the Master was involved in it, but he didn't realize that the family he killed was mine," the Doctor said, "That was the biggest reason I left Gallifrey. It was far too painful to stay, but their loss pales in comparison to losing my entire species and planet within one single moment in history."

Harper listened to him. He was the last of his species and now her and Alex were the last of theirs. It was something she was to have to get used to and evidence by the Doctor, the pain would always be there. The conversation ended there and the two of them sat in silence for a few minutes as the weight of the conversation filled the room.


	7. Alex: The Girl Who Has Nothing Left

**Chapter 7: Alex: The Girl Who Has Nothing Left**

The Doctor walked to Alex's room and was about to knock when he felt like he was being watched. He turned around and didn't see anyone. He rubbed his neck and knocked on Alex's door. There was no answer. He turned around and was going to walk away when the door opened. He turned around and there was no one at the door. He looked up and asked, "Did you do that?"

There was slight hum and he smiled, "I knew it."

The Doctor walked into the room and Alex was laying on her bed. She was awake, but she wasn't moving. She had been crying most of the night. The Doctor sat on the end of her bed and told her, "I know it's hard and painful. It feels like everything you are has been stripped away and all you have left is your body. You want to go and die like the rest of them. You want to know if there was anything you could to save them. You think that if you could have done something different maybe they would have survived."

"How do you deal with it?" asked Alex. Her voice was weak and filled with pain and sadness.

"That's a question I have asked myself time and time and time again," the Doctor answered her, "I guess it's because I go and save others. I go and save others and other worlds and that gives me some comfort over the loss of my people and my planet. It won't go away, that feeling of pain, but it will fade. It will remain a giant scar in your heart that can only be healed by your people and planet returning."  
"I lost my family?" asked Alex, "I was once a daughter and a sister. I am now nothing."

"I was once a son, a brother, a father, an uncle, a grandfather, a nephew. Now I am none of those things, but the one thing I am is the Doctor. I am the Doctor, and do you know who you are?"

"The girl who has nothing left. What good am I now? I can't even do my magic anymore," Alex whimpered.

"No, that's not who you are. I know who you are. You are Alex Russo. You are a human from planet Earth. You are destined for greatness," the Doctor told her, "Don't deny yourself that. Plus, don't count out your magic. We are no longer near the Rift at all. Your powers should be returning if they haven't already, but I would advice not using them as much off of Earth. In some parts of the universe, that would get you burned with the steak."

"You mean burnt at the stake," said Alex.

"No, you will be burned with Blunder Steak. It's a meat found in the Porclaan Galaxy and the residents of that galaxy find time wielders such as yourselves to be perfect sacrifices. I'm never going back there again," the Doctor joked.

Alex smiled and told him, "That doesn't sound like fun."

"It wasn't," the Doctor said, "But the point I'm trying to make is even though you've lost everything that doesn't mean you have to give up. Your existence may seem pointless, but it isn't. You haven't lost everyone, Alex. You still have me and Harper."

"I know, but I don't know if I'm up to this Key to Time thing," said Alex, "I just want to lie here forever and not do anything. I feel like giving up and I've never felt like this before."

"I know the feeling, but don't give up. Use all your willpower and not give up and don't give in. We'll need you," the Doctor told her, "We both need you. If you help us and everything is made right, none of this will have happened. Time will be rewritten and all things will be made right."

"Are you sure?" asked Alex. She sniffled again and sat up. She looked at the Doctor and leaned on him. The Doctor wrapped his arm around her and didn't say anything. She asked him, "How did you get your mind off of your loss?"

"I ran away from my past and tried not to remember anything, but no matter what I tried, I always remembered and it was always in the back of my mind, but I did get my mind off of it when I was doing something to help others," the Doctor told her, "That's what we're going to do now. We are going to help the rest of the life in the universe."

"Will that help me?" asked Alex.

"I honestly cannot tell you if it can or not," the Doctor told her, "It depends on the person. If it helps, use your family for your inspiration. Whenever you think you are going to give up and give in, remember that they are what you are fighting for. Fighting for the ones you love will drive you even more than fighting for your people as a whole."

"Why are you telling me that, Doctor?" asked Alex.

"Because I know you. You will fight to get what you want and you want your family back, right?"

Alex nodded.

The Doctor said, "Use that when we are on this journey to assemble the Key. We will make it right, but I need you, Alex Russo. You are going to go and help us. You need to in order to get your family back. We found the location of the second segment of the Key and I came to see if you wanted to come with us."

"Yeah, I'll go," Alex said. She stood up and turned to the Doctor, "I just need to change, but I don't have any clothes."

"There is a massive wardrobe in the TARDIS," said the Doctor, "But if you are going to get into a new set of clothes go for something that is good in a very humid environment. It's a planet called Oceans. It's a planet with two massive oceans and a narrow strip of land on the planet's equator. It's a very tropical planet too."

"I got it, Doctor," said Alex, "Which way to the wardrobe?"

"The TARDIS will direct you there," the Doctor answered her.

"Okay," said Alex.

"I'll leave you to get ready. Harper is already dressed and ready to go out," the Doctor said. He got up and went to the door. He told her, "We'll be in the control room and remember everything will be made right when this is all over with."  
"I believe you," Alex said. He walked up to the Doctor and kissed him on the cheek. She said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," the Doctor smiled at her.

"I had a dream when I was sleeping. I only remember one thing from my dream," said Alex, "I don't know what it means."

"What do you remember?" asked the Doctor.

"It was something about a girl," Alex said, "A girl at the heart of it all."

The Doctor froze and looked at her. That was the same thing that appeared on his viewscreen. He took a while to respond, but he did answer her, "I don't know what that means."

"Are you sure?" asked Alex.

He was telling the truth. He didn't know what it meant, but he's seen it before. He told her, "No, I don't know what that means."

"Okay, then," said Alex, "I better go change then."

"Yep," said the Doctor. He left and closed the door. He walked back to the control room. A couple minutes later, Alex walked out and she listened to where the TARDIS was directing her.


	8. The Six Fold God

**Chapter 8: The Six-Fold-God**

The Doctor was tweaking some controls of the TARDIS and the ship descended into the jungle of the Magellan's Strip. The Doctor opened the door to the TARDIS and he was blasted by the humidity of the planet Oceans. He sighed and shut the door to TARDIS. His sweatpants and jacket were going to cook him in the humidity. He walked out of the control room and made his way to the TARDIS's wardrobe.

He saw Harper standing outside one of the fitting rooms and she was dressed in jeans and a blue t-shirt. She saw the Doctor and said, "Alex is getting ready, but she's moving so slow."

"It's fine," said the Doctor, "She just lost her family and she didn't even want to come."

"They were my family too," said Harper annoyed at the Doctor.

"I know," the Doctor told her, "But the connection a family has by blood is greater than that of a family not connected by blood."

"How do you know?" asked Harper.

The Doctor looked at her and said, "I just know."

"Yeah, okay," said Harper.

After several minutes of silence, Alex came out. She was wearing boots and jean shorts with a purple shirt on. "How's this?"

"That's good," said the Doctor, "The humidity is killer. I need to change out of this into something more weather friendly."

The Doctor walked into the wardrobe and changed into denim cargo shorts and a yellow shirt with the words, "I invented the banana daiquiri." He stepped back outside into the hallway and said, "Let's go."

Alex read the shirt the Doctor was wearing and asked, "You invented the banana daiquiri?"

"As a matter in fact I did," the Doctor smiled, "A couple centuries early actually."

"You're serious," said Alex, "I was just kidding."

The Doctor nodded and he led the other two to the doors off the TARDIS. He opened them and the humidity blasted him again. The Doctor's glasses darkened to sunglasses.

"You wear transitions?" asked Harper.

"Yep," the Doctor said. He picked up a machete he put next to the TARDIS doors, and stepped out first with the other two followed him out. He took out his detector and gave it to Harper. He told her, "Take this and point to where the noise is the loudest. That'll the be the direction the segment is in."

"What does the segment look like?" asked Harper.

"Anything," the Doctor told her, "The Key segment can be anything. It can take any form or shape. It has no limitations."

"So we are looking for one thing on a planet?" asked Harper

"Yeah, that about sums it up," said the Doctor.

"Oh, this is going to be fun," Harper replied. She moved the detector around and got a lock on a signal. It was to the southwest of their location.

The Doctor was chopping the jungle down to forge a path towards the segment. Harper started to complain a bit, but Alex remained silent. She was just a drone walking without any emotions. Her eyes were lost and empty. The Doctor saw Alex's demeanor and he said, "We'll stop here for a bit."

Harper sat next to a giant boulder and Alex sat down on a fallen log and stared down to the left. Her mind lost in its own sadness. The Doctor sat next to Alex. She was taking it so much harder than Harper was. He told her, "It's all going to be fine in the end. This journey may take a while, but it will be worth it. When all this is over, you and Harper will never remember any of this. That means all of this will be made new and you will go back to your graduation party with your family beside you."

Alex didn't look up at him, but asked, "What about you?"

"I'll remember it. There is no way around it," the Doctor said.

"Why?" Alex looked at him. Her eyes were flooded with emotions.

"I'm a complicated space-time event. Even if time is rewritten I'll remember it, but the important thing is that you won't remember it because to you it will have never happened."

"That's not fair," Alex said. She laid her head on the Doctor's shoulder.

"The universe is an unfair place, but you'll get used to it," the Doctor said, "I just hope that you never do."

"What would have happened if we would have never met?" Alex asked and changed the subject.

"I don't know," said the Doctor, "Now that I know the Daleks made the Rift, I don't know, Alex, I just don't know. I thought the Time Lock was unbreakable, but not once, not twice, but three times that theory has been shot. Once by Dalek Caan which is in your future. Twice by Rassilon and the Time Lords during Christmas 2009. Now the third time is the Daleks escaping. I just don't know anymore."

"You don't know something. That's a change," said Alex.

"I don't know a lot of things," the Doctor told her, "If I knew everything, I'd freak out, but that doesn't mean I'll stop learning. I don't even think the Guardians know everything."

"Guardians?" asked Alex.

"Yeah, there are six of them," said the Doctor, "The White Guardian, the Black Guardian, the Red Guardian, the Crystal Guardian, the Azure Guardian, and the Gold Guardian. They are called the Six-Fold-God, but they don't really like to be called that. I called them the Guardians or the Guardians of Time."

"Do they have the power to reverse this?" asked Alex.

"Yes, they do, but they won't," said the Doctor.

"Why?" asked Alex. She rubbed her head on his shoulder.

"I don't know, but no one really knows if they are in the universe anymore. I haven't seen or heard any of them since the War. I wonder if they fled the universe with the Eternals," said the Doctor.

"How many of them have you met?" asked Alex.

"Three," the Doctor told her, "The first one was the Crystal Guardian. I met him way back in my first life. He was called the Celestial Toymaker. After that, I met the White Guardian and the Black Guardian during my fourth incarnation. The White Guardian was the one who sent me on the trip to assemble the Key to Time the first time round. The Black Guardian tried to intervene and steal the Key for himself, but everything was worked out and the White Guardian accomplished what he wanted and the Key was sent across all Creation. I had to deal with the Black Guardian in my fifth life. I nearly didn't make it out."

"How did you?" asked Alex.

"The White Guardian helped me out," the Doctor said.

"I wish they'd come back and help," Alex said.

"The White Guardian would be our best bet," the Doctor told Alex, "The Black Guardian could very well be behind all of this."

"Why?" asked Alex, "Who would want to cause all of this?"

"Someone who revels in chaos and destruction," the Doctor said, "That is one thing the Black Guardian and the Master like."

"I don't understand that," said Alex.

"No one does," said the Doctor.

The two of them sat there in silence for several more minutes. Harper was watching them and couldn't stop thinking about why she wasn't feeling anything, but anger. She was starting to take it out on the Doctor. He hadn't done anything to harm her. It was quite the opposite. He was always there to protect her from danger and save her life, but he didn't give his life for her. She knew he would if he had to, but it wasn't her who the Doctor shielded from the collapsing ceiling, it was Alex. Justin, however, protected her and it cost him his life. Harper was hurting inside that he wasn't there for her to thank. There was something missing from her heart now. She continued to watch the two on the log.

"Cute, aren't they?" asked a man's voice from behind the giant rock she was sitting next to. Harper stood up and walked behind the rock and saw the Man in White leaning against the boulder. Harper was turning around when the Man told her, "It won't matter. They can't see me. Only you can, my dear Harper."

"Who are you?" Harper asked turning around to face him.

"Right now I am just a watcher dropping little hints and bread crumbs for you to follow," said the Man.

"If you know so much, why am I not feeling the same way as Alex?" asked Harper.

"Harper, it's because you sense and know deep in your one-hearted chest that this will all be changed. Also you are different from her. They were friends and family recently for you, but for Alex they were her family. She was with them her entire life, and the Doctor is right. Her connection by blood is stronger than your connection with them," the Man continued.

"How long will this trip last?" asked Harper.

"Twenty years," the Man said.

"Twenty years?" asked Harper, "We've got to go through this twenty years?"  
"Yes, Harper, and you will have your trials and tribulations," the Man in White told Harper.

"Will we succeed?" asked Harper.

"You have to believe you can. If I tell you, it wouldn't be good," the Man told her, "You have to find that out on your own, Harper. I'm here to help you out."

"Are you going to appear to the others?" asked Harper.

"No, I am not," the Man said, "They have each other. You have them, but the connection they share goes down deeper. I am here to be your guardian angel."

"That's good," said Harper, "I feel like I need one."

"You had one before me you know," the Man told her, "Justin was your guardian angel. Without any hesitation, he threw himself on you and save your life at the cost of his own."

"Why did he do that?" asked Harper.

"He cared for you. He cared for you a lot," the Man said.

"Did he love me?" asked Harper.

"There is no greater love for someone to lay down his or her life for another," the Man said.

"So he did love me?" asked Harper.

"Yes," the Man said. The man looked at the detector in Harper's pocket and told her, "Better keep an eye on the detector. I think your segment is about to show itself."

"Really? What is it?" asked Harper.

"Keep your eyes to the sky," the Man said.

"What does that mean?" asked Harper, but the Man in White had vanished again. He shook her head and asked, "Who is that guy?"

Then the detector went off and Harper saw the signal was coming from the sky. She looked up and saw what resembled a giant fruit bat from the tropics fly overhead. She followed the bat thing with the detector and said, "You have got to be kidding me."

Harper put the detector back in her pocket and walked out from behind the boulder. She told the others, "I know what the segment is and you are not going to like what it is."


	9. The Banschalere

**Chapter 9: The Banschalere**

The giant winged animal flew over the area where the Doctor, Alex and Harper were resting. It flew from the southwest to the northeast. It flew to the planet's sole mountain at the widest stretch of land on the Magellan's Strip.

Harper walked out from behind the boulder and told the Doctor and Alex, "I know what the segment is and you are not going to like what it is."

"What is it?" asked the Doctor. He stood up and Alex grabbed his arm.

"Did you see that giant bat thing that flew over of towards the direction we came?" asked Harper.

"Yeah, I did," the Doctor said. He knew what was coming next.

"The detector locked onto the bat monster and now the signal is strongest to the northeast of here," Harper told the Doctor.

The Doctor told her, "That bat thing is the Key segment. Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," Harper said, "The detector is now pointing to go to the animal's location."

"That's not good," the Doctor said, "That bat thing is called a banschalere. It was the biggest problem settlers had when building a colony on this planet. The banschalere is the top predator on Oceans. It feeds on the life in the oceans on this planet and even some unfortunate colonists. This is going to be a little dangerous. Okay, this is going to be a lot dangerous. Banschaleres are incredibly territorial. We'll have to be very careful."

"Oh great," Harper said.

The Doctor walked away from the log and Alex followed closely behind him. The Doctor asked, "Which way did it go again?"  
Harper told him, "To the northeast. The direction we came."

"Let's go then," the Doctor said, "At least we can go follow the path that I cut up until the TARDIS."

"That's good I guess," Harper said.

The Doctor started down the way they came. Alex ran up next to him and Harper followed right behind them. After a while, the Doctor and the two girls came back upon the TARDIS. They walked by it and the Doctor used his machete again to chop away the forest. The Doctor cut down a branch and came face to face with a blob of yellow. Two eyes opened up and an alien creature stood up in the path of the Doctor. It was seven feet tall and twelve feet long. It had two legs and two wings with a long tail. The creature sniffed the Doctor and howled. It spread its wings and took off towards the sky. It flew several hundred feet above the canopy and started to make its way to the mountain.

"What was that?" asked Harper.

"I have no idea," the Doctor told her, "But from the fact we are still alive, that creature has a very good temperament and a herbivore."

"That's good," Alex said.

"Let's keep going," the Doctor said. After about an hour, the three of them reached the bast of the mountain. The Doctor told them, "Okay, let's rest for right now."

"That sounds good," Alex replied.

The Doctor sat down and rested his head on a natural stone wall behind him. Alex sat down next to him and once again laid her head on his shoulder. The Doctor put his arm around Alex's shoulders. Harper sat down on the other side of the Doctor. He put his other arm around Harper's shoulders. After several minutes, the light started to dim as night started to come. The three of them fell asleep together. Harper was leaning on the Doctor's right side and Alex on the Doctor's right.

Morning came several hours later and the Doctor woke up first. He gently got up and laid down Alex and Harper. He took the detector away from Harper and then took out Alex's wand from her boot. He felt the time energy flowing throughout the wand. To anyone else, the feeling would be very strange or unique to its owner, but to a Time Lord, it was something completely different. His arm holding the wand glowed and his eyes closely followed. He tossed the wand up and it took a stationary place above the girls. A half sphere of energy surrounded them. The Doctor picked up a rock and threw it at the energy and it bounced off of it. The Doctor walked up to energy and went through it. He walked back out and nodded. He had the detector and started up the mountain to where the banschalere had flown.

The Doctor followed the detector as it told him where to go. He climbed for about an hour before he reached a massive cave. The mouth of the cave was a hundred feet high and a couple hundred feet long. He held the detector up and it pointed to inside. The Doctor sighed, "Of course. It's always a cave. Why can't it be a nice beach or something? It's always a flippin' cave."

The Doctor walked only a few hundred feet before he heard a growl come from the cave deeper in. He stopped and shined his sonic screwdriver and four eyes reflected back at him. He smiled and said, "There you are."

The Doctor held his sonic up and shot it in the direction of the animal. The sound waves hit the banschalere and it fell to the ground in pain. The creature was dazed for a bit and against common sense the Doctor charged the beast and took out the detector. The animal regained its equilibrium back. It snarled and started to move towards the Doctor with its jaws wide open. The detector touched one of the creature's incisors. The creature froze and it started to glow with a light blue. Little arms of light flew out of the animal and the whole thing started to whirlpool down into another segment of the Key. The Doctor was stiff until the whole animal was change. He fell to the ground and let out a huge sigh of relief. He told himself, "That was incredibly stupid. I could have died."

After several minutes, the Doctor picked up the second segment and put it in his pocket. He took the detector and put into another pocket. He walked to the mouth of the cave and took another hour to get down to the base of the mountain. He walked back to the stone wall where he left Alex and Harper asleep. Even though he had been gone for about three hours, the girls were still asleep. They needed it. He knew that they weren't ready for more danger. That was the reason he went off on his own to get the second segment. He walked through the energy barrier he set up and grabbed Alex's wand. The energy flew back into the wand and the Doctor's arm and eyes glowed again. After the light receded the Doctor smiled and put the wand back into Alex boot.

After several minutes, Harper woke up first. She was searching for the detector and was freaking out until the Doctor told her he had it. All the noise woke Alex up and she rubbed her eyes. She asked, "How long was I asleep?"

"About eleven hours," the Doctor said, "I woke up about four hours ago."

"So, where do we go next?" asked Alex.

"To the TARDIS," the Doctor told her.

"Why? Don't we need to get the segment?" asked Harper.

"Already done," the Doctor told them. He took out the segment and showed them, "Long story short, I was incredibly stupid and went off to get it on my own and I did after I made you two safe. Let's get back to the TARDIS shall we?"

"Yes!" said Alex without thinking.

"Okay, that's settled," the Doctor said, "Let's roll."

The three of them walked back to the TARDIS. After getting there, the three of them were so relieved to get out the heat and humidity and back into the air conditioned control room of the TARDIS. The doors shut behind them and they would soon be off on another trip to find the third segment.

**Deep Inside the Time Lock**

The battle TARDIS was monitoring Dalek activity around a newly formed Time Rift. Its chameleon circuit made it appear like a Dalek warship and was able to maneuver practically invisible. The Time Lord ship scanned the new Rift and found that it led out of the Time Lock. It was the thing that the Lord President would die to have. The battle TARDIS flew out of the range of the Dalek fleet and dematerialized. It flew through the Battle Vortex towards Gallifrey.


	10. Planet of the Kings

**Chapter 10: Planet of the Kings**

After the small adventure on Oceans, the Doctor, Harper and I didn't have any luck for four years. The next time we did make a find for the Key, I had just turned 22 years old. We ran into several planets that were inhabited, but they were all refugees. Harper eventually came to terms with our loss, but it took a little longer with her than with me. The Doctor and I grew close over those four years. We were kindred spirits. We were both the last of our kinds and connected to each other by some kind of miracle when we both opened the Heart of the TARDIS when we first met. Apart from that, I often thought that this trip wasn't worth it. It had been four years since my family had died, but the Doctor was relentless. He was going to keep that promise he made with my dad back on the day it all ended. He promised Dad that he was going to make it all right. The Doctor was not going to break that promise. Let's go back to that day four years after the Daleks arrival.

**TARDIS**

**4 Years after Exodus of the Daleks**

The Doctor walked into the control room of the TARDIS. He a reddish brown beard and long brown hair. He hadn't cut either one of them in over a year. He told Alex and Harper that he wasn't going to shave or cut his hair until the third segment would be found. He sat down on the control chair and put his feet on the console. He moved his head back and forth for no reason. The TARDIS was jarred and the control console screen went black. Gallifrean writing flashed across the screen and the Doctor's eyes widened. "That's the Recall. Must be leaking through the tunnel."

The screen went back to normal and the Key to Time detector lit up and the Doctor jumped out of his seat. The detector detected the third segment and the Doctor pressed a couple buttons and found where the Key segment was located. It was on the planet called Crayless in the year 4047 AD. Crayless was a graveyard planet. It was a supersized Valley of the Kings. The whole planet was a graveyard for its neighboring planet, Craine's, kings. It was a very developed society with space travel and was ruled by a monarchy. The planet Crayless, like the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was a desert. The Doctor thought that this one shouldn't be that hard to track down and take the segment. The problem would be not getting dehydrated or getting heat stroke from the hot beating sun of Crayless. The Doctor turned around and the screen behind him flashed another message. It said, "A girl at the heart of it all." The message was back. The Doctor didn't notice that and he left the control room. He had to keep a promise he had made.

The Doctor walked into a TARDIS bathroom and shave his entire beard off, but left a mustache and goatee. He cut his hair short again. He left the bathroom and walked back to the control room a few hours later.

Alex was in the control room this time. She was dressed in knee high dark purple boots and jeans. She was wearing an orange tank top with a light blue jacket over it. Her hair was cut to shoulder length. She saw the Doctor and ran to him. She jumped up and he caught her. She looked down at the Doctor's face and she had a huge smile on.

"What's all this about?" the Doctor asked.

"I don't know," Alex said, "I'm just happy to see you."

"Thank you," the Doctor said.

Alex kissed the Doctor and said, "You're welcome." The two kissed again before Alex jumped down. After she was down, she noticed that the Doctor had cut his hair and shaved his beard. She asked him, "You found it?"

The Doctor smiled and answered, "Yes, I did. Segment three has been located. It's on that planet there."

Alex saw the planet was a giant desert and she asked, "Is that whole planet a giant desert?"

"Yes, it is and it's a giant graveyard for the kings of its sister planet, Craine. It's been dubbed the Planet of the Kings by nearly everybody," the Doctor explained. Alex was smiling at him and the Doctor wanted to know why so he asked, "What is it?"

"You're so cute when you explain things that I really don't care about," Alex said.

"You may not care about this, but you need to pay attention. People visiting the planet Crayless without the permission of the Craine government is the highest crime of the Crainiens. It has only one punishment and the punishment is death. I don't want to die and I am sure you don't so if there is anything about that planet I tell you, you need to pay attention and listen," the Doctor told her.

Alex nodded and said, "That's good to know."

"I thought so too," the Doctor said, "So go and get ready for a desert. Better tell Harper too."

Alex smiled and walked out of the control room. A bit later, Alex and Harper walked into the control room dressed for a desert. The Doctor was already wearing his cargo shorts and a dark green shirt. He wore a hat to block the sun. The Doctor told them, "If you get caught, you better hope that one of is nearby to get you out of trouble because if no one is, you are dead. Understood?"

"Yeah," Harper said. She looked virtually the same as she had four years ago except her hair was all the way to her waist. It had reddened a little in the years since the exodus of the Daleks.

Alex simply said, "Yes."

"Okay, let's go," the Doctor said. He had the detector in his hand as he opened the TARDIS and led the three of them out. The Doctor shut the doors to the TARDIS. The three of them went to the west as they search for the third segment.

After a couple hours, the Doctor had determined it was time to rest a little. After resting for a bit the Doctor decided it was time to keep searching and he looked up and saw that they were surrounded by a dozen armed creatures. They were feathered bipeds and had very pronounced beaks, but they lacked wings or a tail. Their feet resembled a bird of prey's feet. The largest one shrieked at the three of them. The Doctor stood up and had a fierce look on his face as he saw the dozen of weird bird-human hybrids surrounding them.


	11. The Stone of the Kings

**Chapter 11: The Stone of the Kings**

The Doctor was threatening and Alex and Harper stood up slowly after he did. The Doctor's fierceness went away and he said, "So what are the Glyphs doing on Crayless?"

The large one asked, "How do you know what we are?"

"I'm a Time Lord," said the Doctor.

"I hear two heartbeats from you. You are Time Lord, but the females have only one heartbeat each. What are they?" asked the lead Glyph.

"They're humans. They're from Earth and I rescued then from the Daleks when they first started attacking," the Doctor explained to them, "Oh and by the way, I'm the Doctor and this Alex and this is Harper."

The lead Glyph said, "I'm the Alpha. These are my Betas."

The Doctor leaned over to Alex and Harper and told them, "Glyphs have a strong pack mentality. Like wolves."

"What are wolves?" the Alpha asked.

"An animal from Earth before it was destroyed," the Doctor said, "Well, anyway, back to the point. Why are you Glyphs here? I'll tell you why I'm here. I'm here searching for something. Not sure what it is yet, but I'll figure it out. I usually do in the end."

"We are searching for the Stone of the Kings. It is said to have powers beyond anything ever seen. We are going to take it to protect our planet from the Monsters," the Alpha said.

"The Monsters?" asked the Doctor.

"They are the demons that are taking the souls of everything in the universe. They signal their approach with their battle cry, exterminate," the Alpha explained.

"The Daleks," the Doctor said, "The Monsters as you call them are also called Daleks."

"How do you know that?" asked the Alpha.

"I've fought them on several times and I beat them all the time with the exception of the last time," said the Doctor.

"Understandable," the Alpha said. He screached and the other Glyphs put down their spears, but the Doctor knew they weren't just spears. They were guns inside of spears. They were designed to lure people into false sense of security. "You can come with us if your thing is the same direction as the Stone."

"Thank you," the Doctor said. He put on his backpack and the three of them followed the Glyphs. The detector was pointing in the same direction as they were going anyway so it really wasn't all that bad. The Doctor ran up to the Alpha and asked, "So what does this Stone of yours do?"

"Are you the alpha of your tribe?" asked the Alpha.

"Yeah, I'm the leader," the Doctor said.

"That's good," the Alpha said, "The Stone is a legend to our people and others. The Stone is supposedly a powerful artifact capable of incredible magic."

The Doctor heard Alex snicker at that comment. The Doctor ignored her and asked, "What is this Stone made of?"

"No one knows. It is said that there are only five other things in Everything that are as powerful as the Stone, but the Stone is the only one where we know it is," said the Alpha.

"Everything? Is that Creation?" asked the Doctor. The Alpha didn't know what Creation was and the Doctor elaborated, "Creation is the universe. It's all of space and time."

The Alpha then nodded, "Then yes, Everything is your Creation."

The Doctor nodded. He had become interested when the Alpha told him that there were only five other things like the Stone in all Creation. This was going to be interesting when the Doctor and the others make it to the Stone because of what was described to the Doctor, the Stone was the segment they were looking for. The Doctor, Alex and Harper were outnumbered four to one and they were going to have to do something to get out of there with the Stone and not being shot by one of the Glyphs' gun spears. He asked, "How far is the Stone of the Kings?"

"A little longer," the Alpha said.

"Okay, tell me when we get near," the Doctor said.

"I shall," the Alpha replied.

The Doctor fell back to Alex and Harper. He asked Alex, "Can you do a spell that can get us to the TARDIS instantaneously?"

"Yeah, I can, but you said you were immune to magic," Alex said.

"I can lower my natural defenses. I just need to know when you're ready," the Doctor said.

"Okay, but when do you want me to?" asked Alex.

"Right after I grab the Stone of the Kings," the Doctor said, "It's the third segment and the Glyphs are after the same thing. They won't take to kind to me when I acquire that rock for our goal. Harper, you be ready to. It will be fast paced so think of a spell now."

"What do you want me to say?" asked Alex, "We never had the competition and I'm not even a full wizard."

"Actually you are by default," the Doctor said, "You brothers aren't here anymore and so all the magic was transferred to you. You've been with for four years and you never knew that?"

"No, I didn't actually," Alex replied.

"Okay," the Doctor said, "Just be ready, Alex. We're getting close. I can feel it. Plus the detector is getting a stronger reading and the Alpha told me it won't be long. So start thinking, Alex."

"I'll try," said Alex.

"And you'll succeed," the Doctor said. He grabbed her head and kissed her forehead before taking off to the front of the group again.

"He believes in you," said Harper, "You can do it."

"Yeah, but I'm rusty on my magic," Alex said, "I haven't had a good magic session or used it in a while."

"Just believe in yourself, Alex," Harper said.

"I will, Harper," Alex replied to Harper.

The Doctor was walking with the Alpha when he saw the Stone of the Kings. It was a massive emerald colored stone sitting in the center of several large columns. The Doctor pointed at the Stone and said, "I take it that that is the Stone."

"Good guess, Doctor," the Alpha said.

The Doctor fell back and said, "That is the Stone over there. I need your wand."

"Why?" asked Alex.

"I'm going to lower my defenses and I need your time converter to do it."

"Time converter?" asked Alex.

"Your wand," the Doctor said.

"Okay," Alex said and handed him her wand. The Doctor took it and his arm and eyes glowed and then went back to normal. He handed Alex back her wand and she asked him, "What was that?"

"I used the time energy in your wand to lower my defense against your, lack of a better term, magic," the Doctor said, "Your wand channels time energy and so does a Time Lord body. Basically long story short, I used it to make me less resistant to magic."

The fifteen of them came to the Stone. Alex looked at the Stone and was lost looking at it. She walked up to it and held out her hands to it. The Doctor and Harper stared at her not knowing what she was doing. The Glyphs didn't see her moves as threatening. They saw them more as a a sense of awe and wonder. They all looked at Alex. Her hands were on the Stone and her eyes were lost looking into the Stone. The Doctor walked up to Alex and asked her, "Alex, is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine, Doctor," Alex told him.

"Then what is it?" asked the Doctor.

"I don't know," Alex said. Her trance was snapped when the stone started to glow with blue light. The Stone whirlpooled just like the banschalere had four years earlier. The Doctor looked at his pocket and saw that the detector had touched the Stone. The Glyphs turned hostile and fired their gun spears at the Doctor and Alex, but the Key segment blocked the shots. The gun spears vanished and that freaked the Glyphs out. They back away. The Stone finished whirlpooling and it became another segment. The Doctor picked it up and held it out to the Glyphs. The Glyphs saw the Doctor's past as he held up the Key segment and they took off into the desert.

The Doctor turned around to Alex and Harper and said, "That was weird and didn't go exactly to plan, but who cares. We got the segment."

"Doctor, do you still want me to use the spell?" asked Alex.

The Doctor looked at Alex and said, "Yes, I don't want to walk through a desert for hours again."

"Okay, I'll do it," Alex said. She cleared her throat and said, "I don't want this to be a miss, so take us three back to the TARDIS."

All three of them vanished and reappeared outside the TARDIS. The Doctor took Alex's wand again and raised his immunity to magic again. The Doctor gave the wand back to Alex and the three of them went back into the TARDIS again.

The Doctor sat down in one of the chairs and said, "I need to take shower. That desert heat was killer."

"You're telling me," said Harper. She left to go clean up.

Alex sat down next to the Doctor and asked, "What happened to me out there?"

"I have no idea. I looked like you shared a connection to the Stone. I've never seen anything like that before, but you seem to know it personally."

"How?" asked Alex.

"I don't know," said the Doctor, "But with all things, time will tell."

"Okay, I hope it does, because that was really weird," said Alex.

"Life with me is weird," said the Doctor, "You should know that."

Alex stood up and kissed the Doctor before saying, "Oh, I do know that."


	12. The Plans of Many

**Chapter 12: The Plans of Many**

**Deep Inside the Time Lock**

"My Lord President," a man in red robes and a golden y-thing behind his head.

"What is it, Castellan Maxil?" said the man sitting down in a large golden chair. He was wearing robes as well but a different kind. Next to his chair there was a tall staff and on the man's left hand there was a metal glove. His right hand was on his forehead as he rested his head in despair.

"We have reports from one of our battle TARDISes that the Daleks have acquired something we need," Maxil said.

"What is that?" the Lord President asked with rage in his voice. He had just been beaten by the Master's torn open body and the Doctor's tenth incarnation destroying the bridge that anchored them out of the Time Lock. All that little stunt did was to delay the inevitable.

"They have a way out of the Time Lock," Maxil said.

The Lord President shot up from his seat and asked fiercely, "Where is it! Where do they have it, Maxil!"

"We have all the information for you, Lord President Rassilon," Maxil said, "It is in the High Council's meeting room.

"Let's go," Rassilon ordered. He took his staff and walked down the corridor to the meeting room. The corridor around him was crumbling and unstable. The whole Citadel was like that. The Time War was reaching its end. When Rassilon entered the room, a voice echoed through the room and said, "The Lord President of Gallifrey Rassilon has entered."

Rassilon sat down and said, "Tell me what the battle TARDIS found!"

"Yes, my Lord President," a Time Lord to Rassilon's right.

At the other end of the table, a hunched over older woman was writing on dozens of pages and she eventually spoke up, "A girl at the heart of it all will end this. A girl at the heart of it all will end this. The voice of reason will be an aid. The voice of reason will be the aid."

"What is the Visionary talking about?" asked Rassilon.

"We are all pawns in bigger game, a game they play. Two twins in constant conflict. Thirteen more years before the girl figures out who she is," the Visionary explained.

"I don't know," said a high councilman.

"Find out Councilman Jonasacraetorious," Rassilon ordered.

"Yes, my Lord President," said Jonasacraetorious.

"We are toys in the game they play," the Visionary said again, "We are all in just in a game."

**Shadow Proclamation**

**2500 AD**

The Supreme Judoon walked into the Diplomacy Room. There was a Sontaran, a Rutan, a Pyrovile, Sycorax, and a holographic projection of the Atraxi diplomat. The Sontaran-Rutan War ended when the Daleks reappeared in the universe with a fury no species had ever seen before. The two blood enemies soon become the strongest of allies as they lusted for battle and there were plenty of battles against the Daleks. The Pyroviles and Sycorax were two of the most powerful species left in the universe and decided to come to the meeting that the Judoon and the Judoon ally, the Atraxi, called. The six of these species made up most of the non-Dalek forces in the remnants of the universe. The idea that the Judoon and Atraxi had was to unify the all six species in massive coalition of forces that would just be called the Alliance. It was the best thing that the two species had thought of in these dark times where the Daleks were ruling everything with their ruthlessness and hatred for all other life. After everyone had introduced themselves, the Supreme Judoon said, "Let the talks begin."

"Agreed," said the Sontaran diplomat and all the others in the room agreed with him.

**The Doctor's TARDIS**

**Seven Years after Exodus of the Daleks**

Alex and Harper were now both twenty-five years old and they had gotten bored and tired with the idea of searching for the other three segments of the Key to Time. Whenever they would tell the Doctor that, he would always come back with the same story. It was the story of the Minyans, a people who the Time Lords interfered with, and their quest for a new home. They searched for 200,000 years and they would always say, "The quest is the quest." That is the single thing that drove them to go and complete their task. The Doctor always told them that seven years was nowhere near 200,000 years. They knew he was right and didn't keep any of those conversations going.

Harper and Alex were sitting in the pool room of the TARDIS. They were talking about different things when Alex asked Harper, "Can I get your opinion on something?"

"Sure," Harper said.

"I wanted to know if you thought it was a good about asking the Doctor to marry me," Alex was saying slowly at first, but then spat out the end of that sentence.

Harper was in disbelief and said, "Are you sure about that?"

"Why?" asked Alex.

"For one, you two aren't even of the same species," said Harper.

"But he's human enough for me," Alex said, "Plus, this universe is nearly dead. All we have is each other, the TARDIS and you, Harper. Besides, you know we've been in a relationship for the last four years."

"But, Alex, I don't know how that will work out," said Harper.

"Why?" asked Alex. She wanted to know why her friend was being like that.

"I don't want you to get hurt if he regenerates," Harper told her.

"What does that got to do with anything?" asked Alex.

"He told you when you two started your relationship. The love between a human and an incarnation of a Time Lord is only specific to that life. If he regenerates, the next Doctor won't have the same feelings for you. He will love you as a friend, but not as a spouse," Harper said.

"I know, but he still has feelings for that one woman," said Alex, "What was her name? Uhm, Romana. He still has feelings for her."

"But that's because she's of the same species and he said that love between a Time Lord and Time Lady is incarnation transcendental," Harper went on.

"But why does he still have feelings for her," said Alex, "She's dead."

"But the scar will always be there. It's like you. If he regenerates and you are still alive, you will have that same scar in your heart. The Doctor you fell in love will be dead and the new fifteenth Doctor will be running the ship," said Harper.

"That is a chance I am willing to take," Alex said.

"Alex, are you sure?" asked Harper, "I don't you to get hurt. You're my sister and I care for you too much to see you go through that."

"Thank you for your concern, but I've already made my choice," Alex said, "And you know when I make my mind up, there is nothing that can change it."

Harper conceded and said, "Yeah, you're right."

**Gallifrey**

**Deep Inside the Time Lock**

"So the Daleks are free," said Rassilon. His mind was deep in thought. He went on, "How many battle TARDISes do we have?"

"We have more than enough to take control of the tunnel out of the Time Lock," Maxil said. He was sitting to the left of Rassilon.

"Prepare an assault on the Dalek controlled tunnel. We will not lose a second time. When we take it, I have a message for the Time Lords out there," said Rassilon.

"What is it?" asked another Time Lord sitting next to Maxil.

Rassilon stood up and said, "Send this message to all the other TARDISes out there. When we leave the Time Lock, I want the Doctor found and I want him dead. I want the Doctor dead before the Final Sanction can commence. Send the message to all Time Lords that whoever kills the Doctor and has undeniable proof that he is permanently killed will be in the first group to ascend as the Final Sanction is completed."

"I will get that message sent away immediately," Maxil said.

"Wait until the session is over, Castellan," Rassilon said.

"Yes, Lord President," Maxil said.

"But for now people, we will launch the attack against the Daleks," Rassilon ordered, "That's it. Session is dismissed."

Everyone but Maxil and the Visionary left Rassilon. The Visionary looked at Rassilon and told the Lord President, "You will not see the final day of the Time War. You will die. There is a traitor amongst the High Council and the Senators of Gallifrey. Your life is nearing its end."

"What did you just say?" Rassilon growled.

"Beware amongst you," the Visionary said, "Where there is a traitor there is a loyalist. Maxil will always stand by you Rassilon. He will be loyal to his dying days."

"Who's the traitor then?" asked Rassilon.

"Too many oppose you to know," the Visionary said before she went back to her writing.

Rassilon looked at Maxil and said, "Is that true? Will you stay loyal to me until you die?"

Maxil smiled and replied, "To my final day, I will serve you."

Rassilon smiled and said, "You're no longer the Castellan, Maxil."

"What?" asked Maxil. He looked crushed.

Rassilon smiled again and said, "You're the Vice President of Gallifrey. You obey no one but me."

Maxil smiled and said, "Thank you, my Lord President."

"Please, call me Rassilon," Rassilon told him.

"Yes sir, Rassilon," the new Vice President of Gallifrey told Rassilon.

**Shadow Proclamation**

**2500 AD**

The negotiations of the alliance between the Sontarans, Rutans, Judoon, Pyroviles, Sycorax, and Atraxi was reaching its end. The six species all agreed that the Daleks are the biggest enemy they ever faced in all their histories. The negotiations had been quick and the six races all agreed to fight together. They all agreed on the name, the Alliance. The Alliance had been founded and was about to go and fight the Daleks. They were going to take the fight to the xenophobic megalomaniacs and show they would not back down.

**TARDIS**

The Doctor was standing in the TARDIS botanical gardens. He was on a bridge about thirty feet high and was leaning on the railing. The tree he was staring at was a massive tree with silver leaves and blood red bark. The Doctor stared at the tree for hours. It was one of the only remnants of Gallifrey he had left. The tree was a Silver-Leafed Gallifreus. It was one of the most beautiful trees in existence and there was not another one in the entire universe.

He stood up straight and started to walk in the center of the bridge. That's when he was tackled to the ground. Alex rolled off of the Doctor and looked him in the face. She smiled big at him and said, "Finally got you."

"Yeah, you did," the Doctor said. He sat up and asked, "What's the occasion for you tackling me to the ground?"

Harper walked up from where Alex came from. She leaned on the railing and nodded to Alex.

Alex nodded and said, "Doctor, I need to ask you something."

"What is it?" asked the Doctor.

"I know what you said about your feelings for me are only for you fourteenth incarnation, but I don't care and I am willing to take the chance," Alex said.

"Take the chance on what?" asked the Doctor.

Alex swallowed and asked, "Doctor, will you marry me?"

"What?" the Doctor asked. He was clearly not expecting that question.

Alex stood up and the Doctor stood up right after her. She got close to him, looked him in his eyes, his ancient eyes, and asked again, "Doctor, will you marry me?"

The Doctor put his hands on her shoulders and asked her, "Alex, are you sure?"

"Yes, I am. I know the risks but I am willing to take those risks," Alex said.

The Doctor looked into her eyes and then he kissed her, telling her, "Then yes, I'll marry you." Alex smiled huge and her eyes started to tear up from happiness. The Doctor asked her, "When do you want to get married?"

"As soon as possible," Alex said, "In this life, you never know what will happen next."

The Doctor said, "That's true. We can do it right now."

"What? Here?" asked Alex.

"Yes," the Doctor said, "Time Lord weddings are short, but strong. It's kind of like a genetic bonding. All that is needed is a witness to actually prove we're married. Harper, do you want to be that witness."

"How did you know I was here?" asked Harper.

"I have my ways," the Doctor said.

"What do you mean that a wedding is like a genetic bonding?" asked Alex.

"It's a hard process to understand, but the human version of Time Lord genetic bonding is a wedding ring. After genetic bonding, marriage is for life," the Doctor said, "But marriage with a human will last until the end of the Time Lord incarnation."

"Oh, okay," said Alex, "Then I'm ready now."

"You're sure?" asked the Doctor.

"Yes, I'm sure," said Alex.

The Doctor nodded, "Give me your hands." The Doctor took Alex's hands and placed them on his face. He put his hands of her face and said, "Kiss me now."

The two of them kissed and there was a white glow surrounding them. Harper watched as the light around the two of them engulfed them. After several minutes, the light left, and the Doctor and Alex were in the same position as they were before the light came. The Doctor broke the kiss and removed his hands from Alex's face and she did the same.

"Doctor, I feel different," said Alex.

"You and I are now one. We now share an unbreakable bond," the Doctor told her.

The two of them stared at each other on the bridge of the TARDIS botanical gardens. Harper just watched the two of them and didn't say a word. She was witnessed to the weirdest marriage she had ever seen, but for the three of them, the journey wasn't even half over.


	13. Return to Peladon

**Chapter 13: Return to Peladon**

That was thirteen years ago that the Doctor and I married. It seems like yesterday, but as the years go on, I can see better and better what the Doctor was saying. I was aging, very slowly, but aging. The Doctor didn't look a day older than the first time I met him. He was right about not aging. I can start to see why he didn't like to get into relationships with others who weren't of his own species, but I can also see that he's happy. It seems like an eternity, however, since I saw Mom, Dad, Justin and Max. They seem like a distant memory that is going to be blown away by the massive winds of life in the TARDIS and the whole journey for the Key to Time. I can't really remember their faces and that makes me cry at night. They were my family and I spent my first eighteen years with them and they were taken from me and I can't even remember what they looked like on my own. The Doctor hasn't forgotten. He never forgets. When I want to see memories of them, the Doctor will open his memories of them and let me see their faces, and when I do, that helps me remember why I am on this journey. When I feel like giving up, seeing them helps me not to stop and to keep going.

Harper seemed to have a positive attitude most of the time during the our trip. It was like something was with her, telling her that we would succeed, but Harper was alone. She had us, but there was something missing from her life. She started to get more and more shut off by us. She wanted to be left alone a lot more. I didn't know why, but on occasion I have heard her talking to herself and having a complete conversion with someone only she can see. I thought she was crazy but now, I am not so sure. She may have been the most sane of us three in reality, but for now, the story of the fourth segment to the Key to Time.

**Twelve Years After Exodus of the Daleks**

The noise of the TARDIS echoed in the dark empty hall of the Royal Palace of Peladon. The TARDIS door opened and the Doctor stepped out. He didn't have facial hair anymore and his hair was fairly long. He was wearing a dark blue shirt with a black jacket unzipped over it. He had on dark blue sweatpants as well. His shoes were now white instead of yellow. Alex, now 30 years old, came out right after him. She was wearing her purple boots and jeans along with a yellow tank top and light blue jacket. Her hair had grown down past her shoulders. The two of them held hands and walked a few feet away from the TARDIS.  
Harper came out after them and she still had long hair, but not all the way down to her waist. She was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt under the Sixth Doctor's coat that the Doctor gave her all those years ago. It seemed like an eternity to her. It had been twelve whole years since the Daleks escaped and the universe was attacked. Life became more and more scarce to find. The Doctor said it was the Daleks beating everyone down that would dare stand to opposed them. The problem was that any who opposed them were nowhere near strong enough to destroy the Daleks, but there was legends of a six race alliance that actually waged war against the Daleks for several thousand years before it suddenly vanished and became lost in history. Harper walked up to the Doctor and Alex.

"What is this place?" asked Harper.

"This is the planet Peladon," the Doctor answered her. He went on to say, "I've been here before several times. Most of those times was during my third incarnation. They know I am a face changer so it shouldn't be hard to find out where the Key segment is if I can get the people to help me. It depends on when this takes place in my time line."

The Doctor walked to another hallway and looked both directions he was debating where to go.

"What are you looking for?" asked Alex.

"I trying to figure out which way to the throne room," said the Doctor.

"Why can't we just follow the detector to the segment like we did the other two times?" Harper asked.

"Those two planets were practically empty. This time we could use some help and we need to go to the throne room and get in contact with the king or queen so we are not captured and found as spies. That won't be good if it does happen. But, I mean we are in a palace, this one wasn't going to be a cakewalk whatsoever," the Doctor answered Harper.

"I guess you're right," Harper said.

The Doctor didn't reply and weighed the options. He eventually decided to go to his right towards the east. "This way."

"Okay," said Alex.

"Any reason?" asked Harper.

"Because I think that is the right way," said the Doctor.

"Good enough for me," Harper said.

The three of them walked down the hall and made their way to a large foyer area that was bustling with guards, high ranking officials and even some peasants. The Doctor knew how to get to the throne room from this place and he led the three of them through the throngs of people. After making it through, the Doctor continued on his way. After several twists and turns, they came upon a hallway that led straight to the throne room.

The Doctor was stopped by two guards who were guarding the entrance to the hallway. One of them said, "King Peladon's throne room is off limits."

"King Peladon?" asked the Doctor.

"He is the king of all Peladon," the guard said misunderstanding the Doctor's question, "Now could you not know that?"

"I'm sorry we just got here," the Doctor told the guard.

"Refugees," the second guard said.

"No, not refugees," the Doctor said, "Travelers and we are on a mission to do something incredibly important. I need to speak to King Peladon immediately. Tell him that the Doctor is here to see him."

The first guard nodded to the second one and the second guard walked to the throne room and after several minutes, the guard returned and said, "King Peladon wishes to see the Doctor and all those with him."

The two guards eased up and let them past. The Doctor said, "Thank you."

The three of them walked to the throne room and the Doctor told Alex and Harper, "You two need to stay here. Only diplomats and royalty may set foot in the throne room."

"But you aren't either one," said Harper.

"Actually I am," the Doctor said, "I was once the Lord President of Gallifrey. The Peladon royal family recognized me as royalty on another planet so I am allowed to enter the throne room whenever I can after I get permission of course."

The Doctor finished and went into the throne room of Peladon. King Peladon looked at the Doctor and said, "I see you have changed again, Doctor."

"Ten times actually," the Doctor said, "You still look the same as before, King Peladon."

"Please, Doctor, just call me Peladon," said King Peladon.

"Okay, Peladon," the Doctor said, "I'm here looking for something that has the power to reverse the whole Dalek incursion into the universe and save all those lives that were lost. A piece of that thing is on your palace and I was asking for permission to look around the palace for it."

"Of course," Peladon told him, "Are you alone this time or do you have some others with you?"

"I have two others with me," the Doctor said.

"They are allowed to come into the throne room," said Peladon.

The Doctor nodded and said, "Alex! Harper! You can come in!"

Alex and Harper came into the throne room. Alex walked up to the Doctor and the two of them held hands, and Alex leaned on the Doctor. Harper was a little behind the two.


	14. Land of Refuge

**Chapter 14: Land of Refuge**

The Doctor and Alex were standing in the throne room when the Doctor introduced everyone, "Peladon, this is Alex, my wife, and her over there is Harper."

"Hi," Harper said to Peladon.

"Nice to meet you two," Peladon said. He looked at Harper and smiled.

The Doctor cleared his throat and said, "You and Peladon can get to know each other better after we talk about the Key segment."  
"Uh, what?" Harper asked fast.

"It's kind of obvious," Alex smiled.

Peladon turned his attention back to the Doctor and said, "Yes, Doctor, let's go and discuss this matter of this Key segment."

The Doctor asked, "Is there a meeting room or something we can speak in?"

"Follow me, Doctor," said Peladon. Peladon led the way to a room with a rectangular table inside it. The Doctor sat down across the table from Peladon. Alex sat down next to the Doctor and Harper sat on the other side of the Doctor. She kept looking at Peladon.

The Doctor saw her and said, "Harper, what are you, 13? Don't stare."

"Sorry," Harper said and she looked away from Peladon.

Peladon sat down and asked, "So, Doctor, what is it you need?"

"I'm not exactly sure," the Doctor said, "What we are searching for can look like anything until the detector we have that pinpoints the object's location touches it. When it does touch it, the segment will return to its natural form. After we get the one that's in the palace, we will be off to find the last two segments."

"How many segments are there?" inquired Peladon.

"Six in total. We've found three, but we need the other three for this journey and plan to fully work," the Doctor told Peladon.

"How long have you been searching for it?" asked Peladon.

"Twelve years so far," the Doctor said.

"Strange," Peladon said, "I go through my life wishing I could go back in time or see the future, but you go and do that whenever you feel like it. What's been only five years for me has been probably ages to you."

"That's correct, Peladon," the Doctor said.

"I have a question," Alex said, "Why is your name Peladon? I thought that's what the Doctor called this planet."

"It is, Alex," Peladon told her, "I was named after our planet and my family line. My father was Peladon XIII. I am Peladon XIV, and if I am correct, the last time the Doctor and I met was back in his fourth life. You said ten lives have past. That would make you the 14th Doctor."

"That's right," said the Doctor, "I guess we are all fans of 14."

"I'm not," said Alex.

"Alex, you married me and I am the Fourteenth Doctor."

"Point taken, Doctor," said Alex, "I guess I am a fan of fourteen."

"Back on subject, Peladon," the Doctor interrupted, "We are here to find that segment. When all six are combined into the cube that is the Key to Time, we will have the ability to restore peace and order to the universe. Everything will be made right. The Daleks won't be free. Life won't be dying. Alex and Harper will be back at their graduation party. Everything will be put back in order."

"I like the sound of that," Peladon said, "I am a very generous and caring man, but ever since the Daleks came to our systems several years ago, we have been taking in thousands upon thousands of refugees. The planet Peladon can't support everyone. I wish we could, but we can't."

"Wait a minute, you said the Daleks ignored this planet and went on their merry little way?" asked the Doctor in disbelief.

"I share your astonishment, Doctor, but it's true. In the years since the Daleks, this planet has become a place of refuge. At first we could handle it, but now, it's breaking my world's back. I wish there was something that I could do to help those people out there," Peladon said. He leaned forward in his chair and looked to his left. He went on and added, "Now, that you've shown up searching for this thing that has the power to reverse all of this and make it like it was, I have that ability to help these people. Even if it is as menial as this, but at least it's something."

"Peladon, I think you've helped those people out more than enough already. You saw them in need and you opened your arms out to them and gave them a home when they didn't have anything. You were a beacon of light in a universe being consumed by darkness and chaos. They love you for what you have done for them. I mean you risked your own planet and maybe even life to help these people. You have done more than most others I have ever seen," said the Doctor, "Did you even think about helping them?"  
"No, I just knew they needed help and I had to do something. I didn't have time to think when I opened up our world to the survivors," Peladon replied.

"That shows your heart, Peladon," said the Doctor, "You could've been shut off and have your army be trained to fight back all the people who needed help, but you didn't. You opened up arms of compassion when they needed it. You didn't even think about it. You wanted them to be safe and have a home to live on. You gave them that on this planet. This planet that has become a place of refuge. You have so much more than you realize."  
Peladon looked up at the Doctor and said, "I am grateful for that, Doctor. I really am. Let's go and find that fourth segment you are looking for, but first a celebration for you three."

"Peladon, I'm not big on celebrations," the Doctor.

Peladon smiled and said, "I know, but those people need hope. They have a home, but they have no hope. This celebration to the three who are actually doing something and risking their lives to do it for them. That will get their spirits up."

"Then go ahead and do it," the Doctor said, "People need hope. When hope is lost, there is nothing left but waiting for the blackness to come and get you."

Peladon stood up and said, "The celebration will be in a few days. Can you stay that long?"

"Of course," the Doctor said.

"That's great," Peladon said, "And in the meantime, you can search for your segment. You have permission to search anywhere in the palace, but be careful if you go to the tunnels, Aggedor is beyond reason. He will kill you without any remorse. I feel that has something to do with the Daleks."

"That's probably the case," the Doctor.

All four of them got up and walked to the door of the room. The Doctor and Peladon gave each other a brotherly hug. Peladon said, "It's good to see you again in such terrible times."

"I know what you mean," the Doctor said. The two let go and the Doctor asked, "Where are our rooms?"

"Oh, of course," Peladon said, "Follow me."

Peladon walked down the corridor and the three of them followed the king down the hallways of the palace.


	15. The Segment of Peladon

**Chapter 15: The Segment of Peladon**

The Doctor and Alex were in a room together and Harper got a room across the hallway. The Doctor and Alex were getting ready to go to bed. Alex finished cleaning up and said, "Doctor, did you see the way Harper kept staring at Peladon?"

"Everyone saw the way she was staring at Peladon. He was staring the same way at her, but was less obvious about it," said the Doctor. He was already laying on the bed. "She needs someone though. We have each other, but she's alone."

Alex laid down next to the Doctor and said, "You're right. She was getting kind of distant, but I hear her sometimes talking to someone. I don't here the person she's talking to but I can hear her."

"I've been through that," said the Doctor, "It somehow helps with the loneliness, but, anyway it is good for her to find someone that isn't us."

"I know," Alex agreed. The two of them laid there in silence for several minutes before Alex said, "You know what. This is the first time I have slept outside of the TARDIS since the first segment. Twelve years. This is weird."

"I know what you mean, but at least we know there is at least one planet where we can come to during our journey that is still friendly," the Doctor said, "Twelve years. It doesn't seem like twelve years since we left Earth, does it?"

"Sometimes it does," Alex said, "But most of the time it feels like an eternity. I miss my family. I miss Mom and Dad. I miss Justin and Max. I don't like to talk about all of that, but I know I have to. Doctor, I'm glad you showed up in my life. I would be with my family if you hadn't come. I know it's been over a decade since all that happened."

"Alex, it's fine," the Doctor told her, "I feel like that with my people. They died in the War over a thousand years ago, and I still feel sad when I think of them."

"That's good," Alex said, "At least I know I'm not the only one who feels like that."

The Doctor replied, "Yep."

Alex asked another question, "Do you think we'll be able to succeed in all of this?"

"Yes, I am sure," said the Doctor, "We have no other choice, Alex."

"I know," Alex said, "But I don't want to get all but one segment of the Key because we couldn't find the last segment."

"Is that what you're afraid of that?" asked the Doctor.

"I wouldn't call it a fear, but more of a worry," Alex replied.

"We'll succeed and get through all of this," the Doctor said.

"Are you just saying that to make me feel better?" asked Alex.

"No, I honestly believe we can do it, but if it makes you feel better too, that is just a bonus," the Doctor answered her.

Alex smiled reassured and said, "It does make me feel better."

"I know," the Doctor said. The two of them said no more and they both faded away and went to sleep.

Morning came and the Doctor, like always, was the first one to wake up. He went to the bathroom that was in his bedroom. He looked at himself in the mirror and just stared. He didn't know why he was staring at himself, but he couldn't help but stare at his reflection.

After a while, Alex came in behind him and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," the Doctor, "I really don't know."

"That's unusual," Alex replied.

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" the Doctor asked rhetorically.

"When you're done, I'll be out in the palace," Alex told him.

"Be careful and whatever you do, do not go down into the tunnels," the Doctor said, "There is a ravenous beast down there called Aggedor."

"I won't," Alex told him. If it had been anyone else, she would have ignored him and just gone and done it, but the one thing she had learned over the last thirteen years being with the Doctor, it was that she had to listen to him. So she decided not to go down into the tunnels underneath the palace. She walked out of their room.

The Doctor stopped looking at his reflection and cleaned up before leaving the room. He had the detector in his pocket. He was going to go off and search for it. He got into the hallway and took out the detector. He found the direction where to go and followed the signal. His mind wandered off as he walked towards the segment. He didn't know what was happening, but it was something big. It was bigger than everything he had dealt with in over 1,000 years. Not even the Daleks' escape out of the Time Lock gave him this feeling. It was a feeling of overwhelming uneasiness. Something big was coming and it was dangerous. If the Daleks and their genocidal mission was bad, this was worse. This was Final Sanction bad.

The Final Sanction. He stopped dead in his tracks. They couldn't have. If they had found out about the Rift the Daleks created to escape, things were going to get a lot worse. If the Time Lords were coming back, then things were going to go deteriorate fast. In comparison to power, the Daleks are a firecracker. The Time Lords are a nuclear bomb. The Time Lords were practically gods. They were on the brink of winning the Time War, but the Final Sanction was too gruesome a way to win. The Daleks were only hanging on in the Final Days because of their numbers. If the Time Lords escape through the Time Lock, the entire Lock shatters and the Last Great Time War will bleed out. That could not happen. He had to get the Key assembled. He was afraid that his people were coming back. If the Time Lords returned, then all Creation, not just life, would be wiped out. Every single planet, star, galaxy, every atom of existence would cease to exist and the Time Lords would reign as the only lifeform ever all because of Rassilon.

The Doctor's mind came back when he was face to face with the Royal Statue of Aggedor the Sacred Beast of Peladon. The Doctor looked at the detector and it squealed loud. The Doctor touched the statue with the detector and the statue whirlpooled just like the other two pieces of the Key. After a couple minutes, the segment was there in front of the Doctor. He put the piece in his pocket and walked to the throne room.

The Doctor walked into the throne room and saw Harper and Peladon sitting at a table, talking between each other. The two of them were smiling and laughing as they talked. Neither one of them noticed the Doctor walk into the room. He knocked on the archway and Peladon noticed him there. The king stood up and asked, "Doctor?"

"I found the segment. It was the Royal Statue of Aggedor," the Doctor told him, "I hope it was okay to change it."

"Of course," Peladon said, "Anything to get your Key to Time assembled."

"Just wanted to let you know. I guess you two can continue what you were doing," the Doctor said. He looked at Harper and smiled at her. She smiled back at him. The Doctor walked out of the throne room down the corridor towards the foyer.

When the Doctor reached the foyer, he found Alex there and she ran up to him. She asked, "So is everything good?"

"I think so," the Doctor said.

"You think so?" asked Alex.

"I found the fourth segment, but I feel uneasy about something. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but something is brewing."

"That's good you found the fourth part of the Key, but what's going on with you," Alex said.

"Let's go to the TARDIS and put the segment up and maybe then I'll figure it out," the Doctor told her. The two of them walked to the TARDIS. The Doctor went on the tell Alex about the feelings he had. The two of them reached the TARDIS and the Doctor put the segment with the other three.

Alex had sat down in the control chair and noticed something one the console was beeping. She didn't know what it was and she asked the Doctor, "Doctor, what's that?"

The Doctor walked up to her and asked, "What's what?"

"That," she pointed to flashing light.

"Oh," the Doctor said. He looked at what it was and pressed one of the buttons on the console. The screen popped up and his blood ran cold and he turned stiff. The color left his body and he couldn't move.

Alex knew something was bad, not just bad, but unimaginable. She was nervous about what he saw. She asked him, "What is it?"

"I just got a message in the TARDIS communications," the Doctor said.

"How? You said that nothing could get into the TARDIS's communications," Alex told him.

"Because I was just contacted by one of my old friends," the Doctor said, "Jonasacraetorious."

"Who?" asked Alex.

"That's a very long name. I just called him Jonesy for short. Everyone else called him Jonas," the Doctor, "And he's...he's a...he's a Time Lord."

"What?" asked Alex, "You said no one from your people could communicate with you because of the Time Lock."

"The Lock has a hole in it remember," the Doctor said.

"Oh yeah, but why is he giving you a message?" asked Alex.

"He warned me that Rassilon is leading and assault on the Daleks and is going to try to take the tunnel out of the Time Lock. Do you know what this means?" asked the Doctor.

"No," Alex said, "Doctor, what does it all mean?"

"The Time Lords are returning!" the Doctor said, "My people are coming back."

The Doctor's voice was shaky and he seemed genuinely scared. The Doctor was able to hide his fear in his naturally calm voice, but his fear was seeping through. That scared Alex. She had never seen the Doctor not just scared, but absolutely terrified. How bad could the Time Lords be?


	16. Things Just Got A Little More Difficult

**Chapter 16: Things Just Got A Little More Difficult**

"Doctor, those are your own people," Alex told the Doctor, "You should be happy they're coming back."

"You don't understand," the Doctor said quietly.

"What don't I understand? Why don't we just all throw a party when they get back?" asked Alex. She didn't know what the Doctor knew.

"There will not be a party. There won't be any kind of celebration when they return," the Doctor said. His voice was heavy and sad.

"Why? I thought you said your people amazing," Alex reminded the Doctor.

"Because that's how I choose to remember my people," the Doctor told Alex, "I chose to remember the Time Lords as the Time Lords of Old, but then the War started. It was an endless war and it changed their very souls. They stopped being the defenders of all other life. They stopped being the ones that all the others races could rely on. By the end of the War, the Time Lords were only focused on winning the War. They would win by any means necessary. They were led by the tyrant Rassilon. He would do anything to win and he came up with the Final Sanction."

Alex asked the Doctor, "What's the Final Sanction?"

"The Time Lords were going to rip a hole in the Time Vortex until the whole vortex was ripped apart. That would erase everything and they would ascend to become, what Rassilon called, creatures of consciousness alone. They would be free of time and cause and effect. Creation itself would no longer exist. I would not be able to ascend because I voted against the Final Sanction and opposed Rassilon from the start and plus I ended the War in another way."

"What do you mean you ended the War?" asked Alex. The Doctor didn't answer and Alex didn't go on. Instead she asked, "So how are the Time Lords going to get out?"

"They are going to launch and attack on the Dalek forces around the tunnel that the Daleks had created," the Doctor said.

"But how? The Daleks seemed invincible," Alex said.

"To most species they are, but to the Time Lords, the Daleks are still in the cradle," the Doctor said, "If the Time Lords sent a massive force to fight the Daleks, the Daleks will be beaten and beaten bad."

"How long do you think we have?" asked Alex.

"I don't know," the Doctor said. After he said that he received another message from Jonas. The Doctor opened it and he said, "Oh, Jones, there is a fine line between insanity and courage and you are straddling that line."

"What's he doing?" asked Alex.

"He's planning on leading a rebellion against Rassilon and his regime," the Doctor said, "He might be able to do it, but Rassilon is powerful. He is feared like no other and he is the founder of Time Lord society."

"He's that old?" asked Alex.

"Yes, he's that old, but for eons he was trapped in the Tomb of Rassilon on Gallifrey's Death Zone. He was deposed ages ago, but was resurrected to take command near the end of the War. He deposed Lady President Romana. She was so young when he killed her. She was only in her third incarnation," the Doctor said.

"He killed the president and became president. Why did the Time Lords let that happen?" asked Alex.

"It was because he's Rassilon. Everyone knew what he did in the First War in Heaven and the War for Time. He brought down the Pythia and because of all of those things, Rassilon was seen as the one to end the War," the Doctor said, "It was wrong. Jonas should have been president. He was the Vice President of Gallifrey."

"But now he is leading a rebellion against Rassilon, though. Isn't that good?" asked Alex.

"If he succeeds," the Doctor said.

Alex thought for a bit and asked, "Doctor, if we assemble the Key, can it reverse the Time Lords coming back as well?"  
"The Key to Time could stop the Time War from ever happening," the Doctor said, "It is an all-powerful artifact. Now, we have to get the Key together because with the Time Lords in the equation, the stakes are higher than ever. Heck, they're at their highest."

Alex stood next to the Doctor and said, "There is now no turning back whatsoever is there?"

"No," the Doctor said, "The universe is being torn apart and will soon be shredded if the Time Lords bleed out of the War."

"Things seem to never get better," Alex said. She was nervous and leaned against the Doctor and she said, "Will we be able to complete our goal now?"

"Before now, I would say yes, but with the Time Lords now in the equation, I have no idea," the Doctor said, "Everything changes."

"We'll win," Alex said. Her voice was strong and filled with confidence.

"How do you know that, Alex?" asked the Doctor.

"Because I just know," Alex said, "I can feel in my heart and throughout my whole body that we will win. It's something deep down inside of me and I can't explain it. I just know."

The Doctor replied to her and said, "That's good. I'm going to just go on and do the job I was doing before."

Alex smiled and stated, "It can't get any worse than this I guess."

"You didn't," the Doctor said, "That is one of the worst things to say. It's like a giant jinx on any situation."

The TARDIS received another message that was going to confirm what the Doctor told Alex. He read it and said, "I was right, Alex. That was a giant jinx. It seems that Rassilon has put a bounty on my head and whoever kills me and gives Rassilon undeniable proof, they will be rewarded by the Lord President himself. It would appear that not only the Daleks and Time Lords are fighting and causing us trouble in our little journey. Now we have to deal with tons of Time Lords who are probably going to try and hunt me down. This sucks."

"Sorry I said it can't get any worse," Alex apologized.

"That's no big deal," the Doctor said, "It was going to happen anyway. Rassilon hates me. I stopped him the last time he tried to escape."

"When did he try to escape last?" asked Alex.

"It was Christmas 2009," the Doctor told her, "I was still in my tenth incarnation. Actually that was the end of my tenth incarnation. Well, anyway, Rassilon was beaten by me and the Master. He and the Master were both sucked into the Time War again. Very long story short, the Time Lords led by Rassilon were beaten by me and everything went back to normal. Apparently that little incident prolonged the Time War to the point where the failed escape has weakened Rassilon's absolute power. Proof of that is Jonas's plans to depose Rassilon."

"I kind of remember that event," Alex said.

"That's not really important, but we should go through the whole celebration that King Peladon is throwing for us and our journey. We can wait until we leave to tell Harper and to figure out a gameplan for surviving. How does that sound?" asked the Doctor.

"That sounds like a good idea," Alex answered.

"Okay, let's go back out there," the Doctor said. The two of them made sure there were no more messages coming in and they left the TARDIS a few minutes later. Things had become a little more complicated.


	17. The Erasing of Peladon

**Chapter 17: The Erasing of Peladon**

A few days after the Doctor and Alex learned the truth about the Time Lords. The Doctor had been silent most of the time since learned about the Time Lords and the bounty that was on his head. He was hoping that Jonas could succeed in his coup de tat of Rassilon's tyranny. The Doctor didn't exactly tell Alex that much about the final days of the War. He didn't want to put more on her than what was already there. His mind was now of the celebration that Peladon was throwing for them.

The Doctor was walking down a hallway by himself when Peladon ran up next to him. Peladon was tall, but walking side by side with the Doctor, he was looked smaller than he was. Peladon asked him, "How long have you know Harper?"

The Doctor smirked and looked at Peladon. He asked a question back at him, "You like her, don't you?"

"Yes, I do," said Peladon.

"First Jo Grant and now Harper," the Doctor said, "You need to calm down with my companions."

"What?" asked Peladon.

"It's just a joke, Peladon," the Doctor said. He then answered Peladon's original question, "I've known Harper for thirteen years. She's kind of, how do I put this, strange."

"And you're not?" asked Peladon, "You can change your whole body."

"Point taken, Peladon, point taken," the Doctor replied, "It's okay though. She likes you too."

"What? She does?" asked Peladon.

The Doctor stopped walking and Peladon stopped as well. The Doctor asked in disbelief, "You didn't know?"

"No, did she tell you?" asked Peladon.

"No," the Doctor said, "It was written all over her face ever since she saw you. Peladon, for a smart man, you are frickin' oblivious."

"It was obvious, wasn't it?" asked Peladon.

"Yeah, King, it was," the Doctor told Peladon. The Doctor started walking again. He looked at Peladon and asked, "So when is the whole party thing going to take place?"

"Tonight," Peladon said, "Will you be there?"

"I don't know. I'm big on parties. I used to be, but now, not so much," the Doctor said, "I'll tell you what I'll go for the introductions, but I probably won't stay for the whole thing."

"That doesn't matter as long as you show up," Peladon said.

"Well, that's good," the Doctor said. His mind starting to drift way from the conversation and back to the Time Lords. He was scared and he was doing his best to hide it from everyone.

Peladon noticed it and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Peladon," the Doctor said, "Just go and prepare for tonight. I have to go check on something, but I'll be there tonight."

"Are you sure, Doctor?" asked Peladon.

"Yes, I'm sure," the Doctor said, "I just need to go somewhere."  
"Very well, Doctor. I will see tonight," Peladon said.

"Yeah, I'll be there," the Doctor said.

"Good," said Peladon. He walked off and the Doctor stopped. He turned into another hall that led to a balcony overlooking the Sea of Peladon. The weather was calm and there wasn't a storm coming, but he felt like there was. The Doctor looked down at the sea and then back up at the sky. The yellow sky of Peladon turned red in a small area to the southeast. The Doctor didn't know what that was, but it wasn't good. The Doctor decided to go to the TARDIS to figure out what that red thing he saw in the sky was.

Back in Harper's room in the palace, Harper was laying on her bed when there was a knock at her door. She got up and opened the door. It was King Peladon on the other side of the door. "King Peladon," Harper said. She was happy to see him.

"Just call me Peladon," Peladon told her.

"Okay, then I will," Harper said, "So what do you want?"

"I wanted to know if you would come to the celebration with me tonight," said Peladon.

"Of course," said Harper smiling.

**Gallifrey**

**Deep Inside the Time Lock**

Rassilon took his place at the Lord President's chair in the Time Lord Senate chamber. The high council took their places on both sides of Rassilon. Jonas's face was strong and certain as was all the other high council members. Maxil wasn't anywhere to be seen and Jonas knew why. Maxil was arrested by the guards and was being held captive. It was time. The coup was about to take place. The Senate knew it was coming. Most of the Chancellery and Citadel Guards knew it was coming. The High Council knew it was coming. Rassilon and his followers didn't have any idea. Everyone was ready for Rassilon to be taken out of the picture ever since the escape using the Master had fallen through.

"Now to order!" Rassilon's voice boomed and echoed through the chamber. He was intense and ready for his plans to be unfolded. He stood up and walked towards the end of his section of the chamber, the entire High Council behind his back.

Jonas stood up behind Rassilon and muttered to himself, "Forgive me for what I'm about to do."

He took out a gun and aimed it at Rassilon's head. Rassilon turned around and glared at Jonas. He said, "So it was you who is going to kill me!"

Rassilon took the gun and backed Jonas all the way to the back wall which was a few hundred feet from the edge. Rassilon started to raise his gloved hand. "Now you die."

"But I'm not the assassin," Jonas said, "I'm just the diversion."

"What are you talking about?" asked Rassilon.

"I not a cold blooded killer," Jonas said.

"Then who is?" asked Rassilon.

"He is," Jonas said. He pointed to the man that had walked in from the hallway.

"Who?" asked Rassilon. He was sure that Jonas as lying and was not going to be tricked by him.

"Me!" a creepy and downright evil voice yelled.

Rassilon's eyes grew wide and he whirled around and stared face to face with the blonde haired man that had nearly killed him in the last attempt to get out of the Time Lock. "You were in prison!"

"I released him," Jonas said, "I think he needs this. You made his life a living hell by putting that four beat drumbeat in his head. He was a pawn used in your game. He deserves some justice."

Jonas stepped back and the blonde man had a manic smile on his face and he started laughing hysterically. He charged Rassilon and slammed him against the a wall. The man bashed Rassilon's head into the hard stone and Rassilon tried to get the attacker off of him. The man took out a blade and jabbed it into Rassilon's neck and drove it up into his skull. Rassilon's body went limp and the man dragged Rassilon's body to the edge of the platform and through Rassilon's body over the edge.

The man stared as Jonas came up behind him, "You kept your end of the deal, Master. I'll restore your body and give you another body. I know you are probably using me to further your own goals, but with Rassilon out of the way, it doesn't matter."

The Master merely smiled and was escorted to where he would be restored. He looked back and said, "Are you sure you won't regret bringing me back?"

"Yes, I'm sure," said Jonas.

The Master smiled maniacally and laughed as the guards took him out of the Senate Chamber. Jonas faced the rest of the Time Lord government and sat down in the Lord President's chair. "Now, let's get working on how we are going to end the War. The Final Sanction is too monstrous and unbelievable."

Several hours later a member of the Chancellery Guards ran up to the new Lord President Jonas and told him, "Lord President, Sir, the guards around the Master are dead. He stole a new life and killed them. He them ran to dry dock and stole a TARDIS for himself."

"What?" Jonas jumped up, "How could that happen?"

"I don't know," the guard said.

"Find him now!" Jonas yelled, "What kind of TARDIS did he steal?"

"A Type 20 Battle TARDIS," the guard told Jonas.

"What?" asked Jonas, "Find him. Find him now! He cannot escape the Time Lock."

"He is dematerializing in orbit around a planet called Peladon," the guard told the Lord President.

Jonas was battling himself and said, "Wipe Peladon out of existence! We can't let the Master be out in the universe."

**Planet Peladon**

The Doctor walked with Alex into courtyard of the palace during the celebration thrown by Peladon. The Doctor looked up at the sky and saw the red thing he saw in the sky was larger and deeper. The Doctor squinted and saw what he swore was another TARDIS. That red thing in the sky was driving the Doctor mad.

He kept staring at the sky and Alex noticed. She asked him, "What are you staring at?"

"That red thing in the sky," the Doctor said. He pointed to the sky.

Alex noticed what had happened to the sky and asked, "How long has that been there?"

"You haven't noticed it?" asked the Doctor.

"No," said Alex, "My eyes seemed to avoid it until you pointed it out."

"Your eyes avoided it. That's a perception filter," the Doctor said. The Doctor felt something was coming. It was less than something and more like a certain someone. Someone who the Doctor knew should be dead. The Doctor added, "Something's coming because it's gotten bigger."

"What is it?" asked Alex. Alex started to drum on her legs in a rhythm of four.

"Oh no," the Doctor said. He knew what was coming now. No, he was letting his emotions get the best of him. That man was dead.

"Doctor, what is it?" asked Alex.

"Stop, stop drumming," the Doctor grabbed Alex's hands.

Alex jump at the Doctor's sudden reaction, "Doctor, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, King Peladon and his escort Harper Finkle," the announcer rang out.

"Doctor, what is the black thing in the center of the red?" asked Alex.

The Doctor looked up and saw the blackness and he breathing became loud and shaky out of fear. "We need. To go. Now!"

"What is that black circle?" asked Alex.

"It's nothing, Alex. It's absolutely nothing. Time and creation is being erased."

"Who has that power?" asked Alex, "Nothing has that power. Not even the wizards on Earth did."

"The Time Lords do," the Doctor said, "And they are trying to erase that man in the TARDIS up there. The red thing is damaged battle TARDIS leaking time energy."

"Who's in the battle TARDIS then?" asked Alex.

"The Master," the Doctor said.

"Who's the Master?" asked Alex.

"How do I put this? Batman has the Joker, Sherlock Holmes has Professor Moriarty, and I have the Master. He is basically an evil version of me. He is every bit as cunning and smart as I am!" the Doctor started rambling in anxiety, "Okay, Alex, go to Harper and Peladon and I will pick you two up in the TARDIS."

"What?" asked Alex.

"Just go!" said the Doctor, "If we want a continued existence, go to those two over there!"

"Got it! I'm going," Alex said. She took off and the Doctor bolted to the TARDIS. Alex got to them and said, "We have to go. The Doctor is getting the TARDIS. Peladon is about to be wiped out."

"What do you mean?" asked Peladon, "The Daleks left."

"Not the Daleks, Peladon. It's the Time Lords," Alex said, "Look up there."

"Where?" asked Harper.

"Look up there," Alex pointed. The entire sky was blood red and the black mass in the center was eating up the red. The lighter things on the ground flew up and vanished. People started to join them seconds later.

The whirring of the TARDIS engines came from behind the three of them. The door popped open and the Doctor grabbed both Peladon and Harper. He dragged them both in and Alex ran in shutting the door. The TARDIS dematerialized right before the whole planet vanished. The bleeding battle TARDIS had dematerialized right before the planet vanished. It gave the illusion that it had been destroyed with the planet.

"Doctor, what was that?" asked Peladon.

"My people!" the Doctor yelled, "They are back. Peladon, your people are dead. You are the last of the people of Peladon."

"What?" asked Peladon.

"Peladon, welcome aboard the TARDIS," the Doctor said.

Harper walked up to Peladon and embraced him, "I'm so sorry."

Peladon didn't know exactly what had happened and the Doctor went onto explain what happened and had set the TARDIS to find the fifth segment.


	18. The Shadow Proclamation

**Chapter 18: The Shadow Proclamation**

After the incident on Peladon all those years ago, the Doctor had become more and more pressed to find the rest of the Key to Time. With his people back, there was no way he would stop. Harper and Peladon fell for each other fast and hard. The two had gotten married a couple years after the planet Peladon was destroyed. The Doctor and I were practically one person by then. We knew what each other was going to say and we were closer than the others. The four of us were now part of what was left of life. Life had become more and more rare by the time the Doctor had received a cry for help. He was not going to deny helping someone who needed it. We were all glad that he didn't because the place where the cry for help came from was the same place a segment to Key was located. We landed in the Shadow Proclamation and that is where we met the alliance and by that time Harper and I were 35 years old.

**TARDIS**

**17 Years After Exodus of the Daleks**

The TARDIS materialized in a hallway in the Shadow Proclamation. The Doctor was the first to step out and then he was followed by Alex, Harper, and Peladon. The Judoon that was there to great him was General Garg. Garg spoke something in Judoon and the Doctor replied. Garg gave some kind of salute and the Doctor nodded. The Doctor looked at the three of them and said, "Come on."

The Doctor, Alex, Harper and Peladon were led into a room with the representatives of the six races in the Alliance. All but two of them were his enemies at one point. The Doctor was staring at a Sontaran, Rutan, Pyrovile, Sycorax, Judoon and a holographic Atraxi. The legends about the Alliance were true the Doctor realized. The Judoon said, "You companions must stay outside this room. They have freedom to move except for this area of the Shadow Proclamation. One can come and get you, but that is it."

The Doctor turned around and said, "Harper, Peladon go look for the segment. Alex you help to and you will be my contact okay?"

"Got it, Doctor," Alex said.

The Doctor turned to face the representatives and said, pointing to Alex, "She is the one who I have chosen to communicate between me and the others."

"Very well, Doctor," Garg said.

Alex, Harper and Peladon left and the Doctor asked, "Why am I here?"

"We want you to lead our armies to victory against the Daleks!" the Sontaran said. His voice was full of pride.

"That is correct," the Rutan glowed. The Rutans were a strange race. They were green blobs that glowed whenever they spoke. The Rutans and Sontarans were in a war spanning countless years. Now they were allies. They were both fighting a common enemy.

"But why me?" asked the Doctor.

"You have the ability to command an army of this size and you are the only thing the Daleks fear," the nine foot tall flaming centurian said.

"The Pyrovile is right," the Sycorax said.

"But most of you are my enemies," the Doctor said.

"That is true, but times have changed," the Sontaran.

"That's obvious, but this is just a little awkward for me and not to mention kind of rushed," the Doctor said, "How long have you been planning for me to lead you in the fight against the Daleks."

"We understand you hesitation," the Rutan told him.

"That's good," the Doctor squirmed, "Every instinct of mine is telling me to leave, but I'll stay and hear the rest of this plan out."

"Good," Garg said.

As the Doctor was talking awkwardly with the delegates, Harper and Peladon were walking around another part of the Shadow Proclamation. Harper was getting infuriated because the detector was going crazy. It was glowing and screaming in every direction. "I think this thing is broken."

"Maybe," Peladon said.

"What do you mean maybe?" Harper asked her husband.

"If the thing is going crazy all over the place, then maybe the segment is all over the place," Peladon stated.

"And what does that mean?" asked Harper.

"I don't know," Peladon said, "But it is the only thing that makes sense."  
"Peladon, nothing lately has made any sense," Harper said.

"That is true," Peladon agreed.

The two of them turned around and walked the other direction back towards the center of the Shadow Proclamation. They eventually ran into Alex and the three of them waited in the waiting area that was closest to the TARDIS.

Back in the meeting room, the Doctor was doing his best not to spaz out. His entire being told him to run. Yes, there was a Judoon in the room and the Shadow Proclamation was run by the Judoon, but the Doctor had made enemies of most of the races in this room. He was able to hide his discomfort, but he was on the breaking point. When they were done with their proposal, the Doctor said, "I'm going to have to think about all of this. I really am because I was once an enemy to most of you, and right now it is really, really weird for me. I've got to go and soak all of this in."

"We understand, Doctor," the Sontaran said.

"Thank you," the Doctor said. He jumped up and walked out of the room. When the door shut, the Doctor walked about halfway down the hall before he spazzed out. He ran down the rest of the hallway and made it to the waiting room with the others.

Alex saw him bolt in and asked, "Did you make enemies in that room?"

"No! They want me to be their leader. They want me to lead an alliance of multiple past enemies. It was freakin' weird. I have got to get out of here before I lose the rest of my mind. Harper, did you guys find the fifth segment?"

"No," Harper said annoyed, "The detector is doing this all over the place."

She took out the detector and the Doctor saw what the detector was doing and the Doctor shook his head. He said, "I know what wrong with it."

"What's wrong with it?" asked Harper.

"Nothing, Harper," the Doctor said, "The detector is doing that because the whole Shadow Proclamation is the Key segment."

"Doctor, are you saying that in order to get the segment, you are going to have to change this whole place and kill everyone in at?" asked Peladon.

"Yes," the Doctor said cold and callously.

"What? You can't do that!" Alex said loudly.

"Yes I can and I will. When this all over with, they will be brought back to life," said the Doctor, "And with the Time Lords in the mix, we have no choice."

"But..."

"The Doctor is right," Harper interrupted Alex. Peladon agreed and Alex conceded.

"Let's go to the TARDIS," the Doctor said.

On the way, Alex kept pleading with the Doctor not to do this. The Doctor stopped and sent Harper and Peladon to the TARDIS. Alex asked, "Why are we waiting here?"

"You're right, Alex. It's wrong what I am going to do, but I have to. I don't want to kill all of those people in there, but I have to," said the Doctor.

"Then why?" asked Alex.

"You know why," the Doctor said.

"I know, but have you ever killed that many people in an attempt to save everything else?" asked Alex.

There it was. There was the question the Doctor didn't want anyone to asked him, but he knew he had to tell her. He had to right now. He told her, "Yes, I have, Alex. I have killed many to save even more."

"When?" asked Alex.

"When I ended the Time War," the Doctor said, "I used the Moment and killed the Daleks and the Time Lords. I destroyed Skaro and Gallifrey. I placed the entire War in that Time Lock. I am the one who is soaked in the blood of billions of galaxies. In reality Alex, I am just a monster, and this is the latest thing in a long line of terrible things have done."

Alex looked at the Doctor and didn't know what to say. She knew the Doctor had a secret but she didn't think it was that. She didn't want to believe the Doctor, but she knew it was true. His face was hurt and looked like it had aged several years. Alex didn't like saying this but she did anyway, "Then let's do it."

"What?" asked the Doctor.

"Let's do it before I change my mind," Alex said. She walked fast towards the TARDIS and was trying her best not to cry. She made it to the TARDIS and went straight to her old bedroom and started crying.

The Doctor made it to the TARDIS a couple minutes later and Harper gave him the detector. He put his arm out of the TARDIS and touched the floor of the Shadow Proclamation with the detector and the whole Proclamation whirlpooled into the fifth segment. The TARDIS shielded the people inside from the vacuum of space. He looked out and saw dozens of bodies floating in space and he close his eyes tight out of anguish. He pulled the detector back in and shut the door. The detector had the segment hooked on it. The Doctor took the fifth segment and put it with the other four. He placed the detector into the TARDIS control console and went to Alex's old bedroom.

He knocked on the door and there was no answer. He opened the door and Alex was laying on the bed holding a pillow against her chest. She was crying silently and looking off into space. The Doctor had a flashback to seventeen years earlier to when this whole trek started. He saw that crushed 18 year old girl that had just lost her entire family and species in one bloody day. He was hurting for her. He walked up to the bed and sat down next to the 35 year old Alex. He told her, "The fifth segment is with the others."

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Alex.

"Tell you what?" asked the Doctor.

"Tell me that you ended the War and you killed all of those people," Alex said.

"Because I don't want anyone to know. I don't even want to think of it," said the Doctor, "That decision haunts me to this day."

"Is that why you are determined to fix all of this?" asked Alex, "You put the Time Lock up and now that it has a hole in it, you want to be the one to restore it."

"That is one reason, but not the biggest reason. The biggest reason is to save everything. That overrides everything. My desire to save lives is my most powerful driving force. I get so caught up in doing that, I need to be saved myself sometimes. I just can't help it. I don't know if you'll understand," the Doctor told Alex.

Alex sat up and said, "I don't understand, Doctor, but I would like to understand you better."

The Doctor looked at her and smiled. He said, "Where do I start?"

**3 Years Later**

"The Doctor explained as much as he could to me those three years ago, but I still don't fully understand. The one thing I have learned in the last twenty years since we started this journey is that I will never understand everything. I just recently turned 38 years old last month and I don't know why, after two decades, that I have finally decided to tell the story of the Key to Time. I don't know who'll find this at all. The life at the Shadow Proclamation was the last little piece of life we encountered and that was three years ago. I hope we find the sixth segment fast because I feel something is coming. Everything is coming to a head and I want to be ready, but for now that's it. I might record some more tomorrow or maybe next week, I don't know. What I do know is that it is late and I want some sleep so I'll go and I will be back later. Goodnight," Alex recorded herself saying with an old camera she found a week ago.

Alex found the camera and decided it was a good time to start telling their story to whoever would find it in case their journey fell through. She was 38 years old now and her mindset had changed a ton since her youthful days back when she was in her teens as had Harper's. The Doctor was the Doctor. Twenty years was nothing big to him. He was almost 2300 years old so twenty years was a cakewalk to him. To her and Harper, twenty years seemed like an eternity. At least Harper had Peladon and their two year old son Peladon XV. The Doctor and Alex thought about having children, but they never did. They were both convinced that time would be rewritten and none of this would happen so they didn't try to have kids, but the big reason was that they didn't want there kids to have to go through the emptiness that they were going through.

Several minutes passed and the Doctor came into the room after he had gotten ready for bed. Alex had recorded the history lesson while in bed waiting on him. He laid down next to her and she asked him, "Do you feel that our search is coming to an end?"

The Doctor looked at her and he said, "Yes I do."

"It feels good and weird at the same time," Alex told him.

"It does a little, doesn't it?" asked the Doctor. He then added, "Well we can talk about this tomorrow. I'm ready to get some sleep."

"Me too," Alex agreed. The two of them turned out the lights and went to sleep. They were right. The end was coming and the Doctor was going to meet one more old adversary and he would have to make a heart breaking choice to save everything.


	19. The Dream Trickster

**Chapter 19: The Dream Trickster**

The next morning the Doctor woke up and Alex wasn't in bed. He thought that was strange and walked around the room. She wasn't there at all. He didn't know what was going and he walked to the control room and everything looked fine. He felt creeped out for some reason. He walked to Harper and Peladon's room. He knocked on the door and there was no answer. He opened the door and there was no one inside. The room was old and dusty. It was a wreck like no one had lived there for years. He had no idea what was going on at all. He had to find out. He ran to the control room and started scanning the TARDIS. There was no one on board. He was the only one. Alex was gone. Harper and Peladon were gone. The three year old Peladon Jr. was gone. What was happening? He ran to the door of the TARDIS and opened it. He saw nothing. It was blackness, pure blackness. The thickness and immensity of it was overwhelming he had to shut the door. He ran to the console. He demanded answers, but got nothing. He looked at the detector and it was still there, but it was covered in dirt and spider webs. He looked at the year meter he set up. It was there to tell how many years had passed since he started the journey. He froze when the year meter read 400 years. He was on the journey for 400 years. That meant Alex, Harper, Peladon and Peladon Jr. were all dead. He was alone. He was alone in a universe of nothingness. He had to figure out how the last 380 years had just vanished from his memory. The last thing he remembered was going to bed with Alex. Now he was all alone.

"What is going on here!" the Doctor panicked.

"This is your future," a menacing voice came from behind the Doctor.

The Doctor turned around and was facing one of the oldest things in the universe. It's face, or lack there of, was all skin except for mouth of needle teeth. It had no lips and it's skin was white. The thing wore a black robe with a hood over its head. The Doctor instantly knew who it was. He said, "Trickster! How did you get aboard the TARDIS."

"I didn't, Doctor," said the Trickster in his creepy voice, "This is all in your head. Actually it is in all of your heads."

"All of my incarnations?" asked the Doctor.

"No, you moron," the Trickster shot, "It's in you and your three companions' heads, but there is only one companion of yours that has meaning to me, Doctor."

"Who is that?" asked the Doctor.

"You should know who she is, Doctor," the Trickster told him, "All the time lines have surrounded her. All the incidents have been about her."  
"So it's not Peladon," the Doctor said, "But from that description, it's not Harper."

"Your right, Doctor," the Trickster wheezed, "It's Alex Russo and Alex Russo is my prize."  
"What do you want with Alex?" asked the Doctor.

"What I want from everyone, Doctor. I want her agreement," the thing told the Doctor.

"Her agreement for what?" asked the Doctor.

The Trickster smiled and said, "You don't know how special Alex Russo really is, do you?"

"What are you talking about?" asked the Doctor.

"You know that saying about a girl at the heart of it all?" asked the Trickster.

"Yes," the Doctor answered him.

"She is that girl," the Trickster told him, "She is part of the key that can save everything, Doctor. She part of the Key."

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He didn't want to believe it. The reason there was no luck on the sixth segment is because the sixth segment had been under his nose the whole time. He said, "Alex Russo is the sixth and final segment of the Key to Time?"

"You are correct, Doctor," the Trickster told him.

"Okay, how do I know that this is dream or not and that you are really here or not?" asked the Doctor.

"You don't," the thing told him.

"So I just have to believe all this crap?" asked the Doctor.

"Yes, Doctor, you do," the Trickster said.

"Okay, if she really is the sixth piece why are you in my dream?" asked the Doctor.

"I want you to give me the other five segments so I can have the whole Key to Time to myself," the Trickster told the Doctor.

"You want me to give you the thing that can do anything? I think not," the Doctor said.

"You will give them to me," the Trickster ordered.

"No! I will not," the Doctor shot back, "And this is my dream so I am out of here."

"You won't be able to wake up from this, Doctor," the Trickster said. The Trickster's face grew more menacing and evil. "You will give them to me."

"No, I won't," the Doctor said, "I am still not convinced that you are really even here. I just might be dreaming you and even if I'm not, there is one thing that can repel you no matter what."

"What is that?" the Trickster wanted to know.  
'This," the Doctor opened the Heart of the TARDIS and the light engulfed the Trickster and destroyed him. The world around the Doctor spun out of control and everything went white.

The Doctor woke up in bed next to Alex. Alex was out cold. The Doctor didn't know if what he dreamed was really the Trickster or his own memories and thoughts joining together to show him something. He wasn't sure about any of this. He had to make sure though.

The Doctor got out of bed and walked to the control room and got the Key to Time detector and walked to his room. Reluctantly he held out the detector towards Alex and his body felt like it had been hit by a train when the detector had located the sixth and final segment. It was Alex Russo. He put the detector in his pocket and he felt like throwing up. He collapsed in his chair next to his desk and didn't what to do.

Alex woke up and saw the Doctor wasn't laying next to her. She sat up in bed and saw him sitting in a chair. She asked him, "Doctor, what's wrong?"

The Doctor looked at her. He wanted to tell her what was wrong, but he just didn't know how to put it. He tried to form words, but nothing would work. All that he could do was sit there and look at the beautiful woman he married as tears started to roll down his face.


	20. Alex: The Girl At The Heart Of It All

**Chapter 20: Alex: The Girl At The Heart Of It All**

"Doctor, what is it?" asked Alex. She was sitting up in bed looking at the Doctor sitting in the chair across the room. He didn't answer her and she could see that something was wrong with him. He was never this silent when someone asked if something was wrong. In fact he was never at a loss for words. Something was wrong and it was starting to worry Alex.

Finally the Doctor was able to put some words together and he told her, "Alex, I need you to know something, but give me few minutes okay."

"Yeah, sure," said Alex. She was unsure of what was wrong and she didn't want to impose anything that would make the Doctor feel even worse than he was at this very moment.

"Alex, I'll tell you when Harper and Peladon are awake," the Doctor said, "It's very important. I've found the sixth and final segment of the Key to Time. It has been under our noses the whole time."

"What are you talking about?" asked Alex.

"I'll tell you soon enough, Alex," the Doctor told her.

"Alright," Alex said.

The Doctor stood up and walked back into the control room. He sat down in the control chair and leaned forward. His elbows were resting on his kness and his head was down low. He didn't want to do it, but he had no choice. As far as anyone in the TARDIS knew, the five of them could be the last lifeforms in the universe aside from the Daleks. He knew what needed to be done, and he did not like that option at all. His mind was waging a war against his hearts. He didn't want to do it, but he had no choice in the matter. He had to do it.

What seemed like only a few minutes was, in reality, an hour. Harper and Peladon came into the control room. Peladon was holding his son who was still mostly asleep. Alex came in a couple minutes later. Harper was the first one to ask, "So what about the final segment?"

"The last part of the Key is here inside the TARDIS with us," the Doctor said.

"What do you mean?" asked Harper, "How long has it been with us?"

"The whole twenty years," the Doctor said. His voice started to shake at the end of that statement.

"What do you mean?" asked Alex.

"That saying we've been seeing over and over again about a girl at the heart of it all," the Doctor said, "That was a big clue that made no sense to me until just a couple hours ago."

"What are you saying?" asked Alex.

"I am saying that you, Alex Russo, you are the last segment of the Key to Time," the Doctor said.

"What? That's impossible," Alex said.

"Is it?" asked the Doctor, "Just think about it. You were the only one who could hear the TARDIS when we first met. She let you open her heart and nothing happened to you. You share a connection to the TARDIS. The things that attacked you. There was the Nightmare Weam. There was Tesla Howard. There was the Vastataform who chose you to be its surrogate mother. When the child was about to kill you, your body shone white and the baby vanished. You were fascinated with the Stone of the Kings. You have never touched the detector in all these years because you could get yourself brave enough to do it. You never wondered why. I always wondered why all the time lines and why everything was surrounding you. I never put two and two together until recently Alex. It's because you are the sixth and final segment to the Key to Time."

"But I can't be," Alex said, "I've seen what happened to the other segments. They all morphed into those pieces. Does that mean I am going to die?"

"That depends," said the Doctor.

"It depends on what?" asked Alex. She wanted answers.

"It depends on if this whole trip to get the Key together was successful," the Doctor said.

Harper and Peladon were watching as the Doctor and Alex were talking back and forth. Neither one of them wanted to believe that Alex was the last segment. It didn't make any sense to Peladon, but Harper started to put the pieces together in her mind. It did make sense. Even the siren on Night told Alex that she was part of the Key to saving everything those twenty years ago.

She knew the Doctor was right about Alex, but Harper was not going to speak up. This was the Doctor's battle and Harper knew the Time Lord could handle it.  
"What do you mean?" asked Alex.

"I don't know," the Doctor said.

"Okay then tell me why the Key would chose a person as one of its segments!" Alex demanded.

"It's to provide a moral aspect to the one who wants to assemble the Key to Time. I don't know exactly all of it, but that is the only thing that make sense to me," the Doctor said, "The last time the Key took a person as one of its segments was Princess Astria of Atros. When that was all over, Astria was allowed to return to her living form and the Key segment went somewhere else into another living thing."

"You mean me!" Alex yelled.

"Or it leaves you and goes to Astria. I can't say. Time is sometimes to unpredictable even for a Lord of Time like me," the Doctor said.

"Of course it is," Alex said. She was fighting tons of different emotions.

The Doctor stood up and walked up to Alex. He put his left hand on her shoulder and his right hand was in his pocket where the detector was. He looked Alex in the eyes and kissed her. Then he finally admitted it, "Alex, I love you. I really do and I am sorry for this. I am so, so sorry for what I am about to do to you."

"What are you going to do?" asked Alex. She was caught off guard by the sudden acts of love from the Doctor.

"Remember, Alexandra Margarita Russo, I love you. I love you with all of my hearts," the Doctor said. His voice was filled with sorrow. He took his right hand out of the pocket with the detector in his hand.

"Doctor, I don't understand," Alex said, "Why did you change your emotions so fast?"

"I love you, Alex," the Doctor repeated.

The Doctor took the detector and touched Alex's stomach with it. Her eyes grew wide and she gasped for breath. The Doctor took his hand off of her shoulder and he put the detector back in his pocket. Alex was frozen for what seemed to be an eternity and then, as if by slow motion, Alex Russo whirlpooled just like all the other five segments and the Doctor started at her shocked face until she had whirlpooled down in the sixth segment.

The Doctor picked up the sixth segment and walked to room with the other five segments. Harper and Peladon watched in horror as everything unfolded before their eyes and then they didn't say anything when the heartbroken Doctor walked and put the final piece with the others.

Alex Russo had been the final part of the Key to Time and now she was gone from their lives. The Key was assembled and soon it was time to bring everything back to the way it was. It was time to hit the reset button.


	21. The Wizard and the Guardian

**Chapter 21: The Wizard and the Guardian**

Alex Russo woke up on the floor of the Waverly Sub Station. She sat up and looked around. It was the middle of the day. The sun was shining in the restaurant. She sat there is mass confusion. One minute she was in massive pain and couldn't breathe and the next minute she was laying on the floor of the sub station. She stood up and saw the calendar and it was on June 2010. It was when they all met the Doctor. Not just that it was on June 12, the very day the Doctor had walked into her life. She saw her reflection in the freezer door in the kitchen. She saw herself and said, "This is impossible."

She was a teenager again. The last twenty years had been erased from her features. She had no idea what just happened. Had the last twenty years been just a dream? How could that happen? If she did dream it all, why was she asleep on the floor of the sub station? She looked for the TARDIS outside and there was nothing there. Was it all a dream? Her head hurt from all the thinking.

Alex walked around the place looking for people. She went to the doors to the Waverly Sub Station and walked outside. The sun was unnaturally bright but it didn't hurt her eyes. People walked around outside like it was a normal day outside. There was a feeling around that this was different. It felt more peaceful and calm. She walked back into the sub station. She walked to a chair and sat down. She thought aloud saying, "What's going on here? Either I just had a very strange dream or something is messing with me."

"Alex!" she heard someone call her from upstairs. Her mom came down from the spiral staircase that led to their loft. Theresa looked at Alex and started to say something, "Alex, how many times do I have to tell..."

"Mom," Alex said. She stood up and the waterworks started.

Theresa saw her daughter's face and stopped watch she was saying. Theresa asked, "Alex, what's wrong?"

"I don't know, but I don't care," Alex said. She ran to her mom and hugged her.

"What?" asked Theresa, "What's with all this?"

"I've missed you so much," Alex said. She let go of Theresa and stepped back a few feet.

"What do you mean?" asked Theresa.

"It's a very, very long story," said Alex.

Jerry came down from upstairs and Alex ran up to him and hugged him just like she did Theresa. Jerry asked, "What going on? You don't ever give people hugs."

"I've changed," Alex said.

"How have you changed in an hour?" asked Jerry.

"It's felt more like 21 years to me," Alex said.

"What's felt like 21 years?" Justin asked as he in from outside.

"Justin," Alex turned around. She ran up to her older brother and gave him a bear hug.

"What are you doing?" asked Justin. When Alex let go, Justin searched all over his body for anything Alex would have put on him. He asked her, "What did you do?"

"Nothing," Alex said, "I've just missed you so much. Before you ask, it's a very, very long story."

Max walked in and Alex hugged him too. He was just as confused as the others. They all wanted to know why Alex was being nice to them all. Alex looked around and asked aloud, "I guess all those years with the Doctor were just a dream."

"Who's the Doctor?" asked Alex.

"He's a time traveling alien from a race of god-like people called Time Lords. He's from the planet Gallifrey. I think he sometimes called it the Shining World of the Seven Systems. I spent the last twenty years with him or least I dreamed I did. He traveled in his time traveling space ship called the TARDIS. It was bigger on the inside. I know magical things are like that, but the TARDIS was so much bigger than anything wizard thing I had ever seen. It was amazing," Alex went on. She continued, "And the Doctor was amazing. He was about 2300 years old."

"What are you talking about?" asked Justin, "None of that makes any sense."

"It actually makes perfect sense," a man's voice said from beside the entrance to the sub station. Everyone turned to face him and he was wearing all white. His hair was white and his mustache and goatee were white. He wore a white fedora on his head. He said, "Everything Alex has told you is true."

"How would you know?" asked Justin.

"Because I know," said the Man in White.

"Who are you?" asked Alex.

"I am the White Guardian."

"The Doctor told me about you," Alex said.

"Yes, he did," the White Guardian said.

"So what's real then?" asked Alex.

"The one with the Doctor. I just took your consciousness and placed you in this world created for you until the Doctor fixes everything," the White Guardian explained. He froze the family and continued, "You are really 38 years old, but I made you a seventeen year old girl again, but with the memories of the last 21 years spent with the Doctor."

"Why would you do that?" asked Alex.

"Because the Doctor is about to hit the reset button and all things will be made right," the White Guardian told her.

"If that was real before I woke up here, did the Doctor kill me?" asked Alex.

"In a way, yes, but in a way no," said the White Guardian, "He killed your physical body, but your mind was taken by me for safety. You are basically, for lack of a better term, a soul. You are the energy that was in the physical body."

Alex was trying to take it all in and she asked, "So I am dead but alive?"

"Kind of," the Guardian said.

"Oh that helps," Alex said, "But anyway, when this is over will any of us remember these last twenty years?"

"No, Alex," the Guardian said, "I will as will my five brothers and sisters, but for you, Harper and the Doctor, it will never have happened to any of you and none of you will remember it. You will be brought back to your graduation party and you will eighteen again. That time is coming soon. The Doctor has the Key to Time assembled and is about to use it."

"So everything will be made right in the end?" asked Alex.

"Yes," said the White Guardian.

"Well, I guess that's good," Alex said.

"It is," the White Guardian said. He looked at his wrist as if he had a watch and out of nowhere one appeared on his wrist. He said, "I think our time is up."

Alex got dizzy and looked around. The place was spinning and she held up her hands. They were turning into gas and whirling around her. Her eyes grew wide and she was freaking out, "WHAT'S HAPPENING!"

"Time is reversing," the White Guardian said. His voice was calm and he was smiling, "The Doctor did it. Remain calm, Alex Russo. Everything is being reset. The universe is healing."

Alex tried to speak, but she vanished into a gas as did everything else. The White Guardian smiled and he walked into a light that appeared out of nowhere and he was gone.


	22. Harper: The Voice of Reason

**Chapter 22: Harper: The Voice of Reason**

The Doctor went to the room and placed the Key to Time segment that used to be Alex Russo on the table. He took out the other five pieces of the Key to Time and he put the six pieces together. He took the clear cube with the bluish tint to it into the control room and he placed it on the control console. He took the detector and placed it in a hole down the center of the key. The detector went in all the way until only the detector's handle was out, and there it was. There was the thing that the Doctor, Alex and Harper had devoted twenty years of their lives each to get. He was crushed at the losses he had to deal with including the death of Alex.

As the Doctor had the Key completed, Harper asked, "This is the thing we spent all that time to complete?"

"Yes it is," the Doctor said.

"I thought would be, I don't know, a little grander than a cube," Harper said. All the years in the TARDIS and the death she had encountered had made her numb to Alex's death. She just thought of it as another act of the universe. She was hurt that her adoptive sister was gone and she watched in person, but she knew that this was the reason they were on their trip for the last 20 years.

The Doctor stood over the Key and his eyes glistened ferociously as he had the most powerful thing in all Creation of all the universes in his hands. He had the power to rewrite time and Creation itself or he could wipe out the universe. The Key to Time even was more powerful than the six Guardians of the universe. The Doctor's mind was racing. His emotions were torn and shredding. His was falling apart at the seams. His wife had just been killed by him and all Creation and life was vanishing before his eyes. Then it hit him. He had the thing that could turn back the clock of the Time Lords and bring them back. He had the thing that could end or even prevent the entire Last Great Time War. He could bring his people back and prevent the Daleks from being created, but he knew the ramications of the War were too great to reverse the War or prevent it. The War caused the universe to convulse and contract. The War tore open holes in reality. It was devastating to higher lifeforms. It spread to every corner of Creation even though the smaller species, such as humans, didn't even notice it. He thought of all the horrors the War created and he could prevent if he used the Key to Time for that. He thought of the Nightmare Child, the Battle Vortex, the Fall of Arcadia, the Destruction of the Eye of Harmony. There was the Skaro Degradations, the Horde of Travesties, the Could've Been King with his army of Mean Whiles and Never Weres. Then there was the destruction of Gallifrey and the Time Lords. His mind was fighting his hearts even more then when he had to convert Alex.

"Doctor!" Harper yelled and interrupted the Doctor's train of thought, "Doctor, what are you doing? Reverse everything!"

"But I could do so much more than all of this," said the Doctor.

"What are you talking about?" asked Harper. Peladon stepped out with his and Harper's son so the Doctor and Harper could talk all of this out and he hoped it would be a good thing and not something bad.

"I not only can save and reverse what we intended to do. I can stop the Time War from ever happening and my people and Gallifrey can come back into the universe. I can stop Romana from being deposed and Rassilon from ever coming to power. I could stop the Daleks from being created. I could save so many civilizations and destroy all the ones that threaten life everywhere. I could use the Key to Time to shape the universe," the Doctor said with his voice full of intensity.

"Doctor, no one should ever have that power in their hands," Harper said, "That power is too tempting and it could corrupt."

"How do you know?" snapped the Doctor. His eyes were bloodshot and his body was tensed up.

"Because I see it happening in you!" Harper shot back.

"What are you talking about?" asked the Doctor. His body relaxed and his eyes started to turn white again.

"You were changing, Doctor. You were being taken over by the power of the Key," Harper said, "Use it to reverse what we originally had planned."

"But I could save so many more lives," the Doctor said.

"Doctor, what's done is done. The Time War was so massive that anyone trying to stop it or end it prematurely could cause reality to be ripped open and the universe would be destroyed," Harper told the Doctor.

"How could you possibly know that?" asked the Doctor.

"Because you once told me and Alex that," Harper said.

"But I could do so much more," said the Doctor. He was waging a war inside of himself between what he knew he had to do and what he wanted to do. He collapsed to floor and started crying in the fetal position. He couldn't do it anymore. Twenty-three hundred years of emotions ripped through him and overpowered him. He was powerless yet he had so much power at his finger tips. Then Harper said something, something that made him think.

"Doctor! Listen to me. Listen to reason," Harper said, "You have to listen to reason."

The Doctor sat up and asked, "What did you say?"

"Listen to reason," said Harper. Then it hit her. After twenty years, she had finally become the Voice of Reason that the siren said she would become. "What is reason telling you, Doctor?"

The Doctor stood up and composed himself. He turned to the Key and said, "If I do what I want to do, I would be a god, but I was born a Time Lord, and you know what. I WILL DIE A TIME LORD!"

"That's more like it," said Harper, "Do your thing, Doctor."

"Thank you, Harper," the Doctor said. He closed his eyes and sighed. He wanted to bring back his people, but he knew that he couldn't do for the sake of the universe. "Key to Time I..."  
The Key already knew what the Doctor wanted and already started what the Doctor wanted to do. Everything was whirlpooling around them. Peladon walked in with the kid. The kid vanished and then Peladon vanished as well. Harper was getting scared and asked, "What's going on!"

"Time is rewritting itself," the Doctor said, "The Rift is sealing itself and the Daleks are going back into the Time Lock. Within a few moments, we will be back at the graduation party twenty years ago and we will won't remember this at all! Our mission has been a success."  
Harper smiled and cheered. She was getting younger and eventually she vanished. The Doctor smiled and before he vanished he could have sworn he saw the White Guardian smile at him right before the Doctor vanished and right after that, the TARDIS vanished as well.


	23. Reset

**Chapter 23: Reset**

The Doctor was standing next to the food at Alex and Harper's graduation party when he felt a strange feeling overwhelm him. He lost his balance for a second and caught himself on the table. What was that all about? He looked around and their was nothing wrong. He shook his head and got dizzy. He put all the bananas he took back on the table and turned around.

"Are you okay?" asked a man who was standing next to the Doctor.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the Doctor said, "You're Ernesto, right?"

"Yes, how'd you know?" asked Ernesto.

"I have no idea," the Doctor said, "I just knew. Something wrong with time. What just happened?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Ernesto.

"Something that is not important to you," the Doctor said. He saw Alex and Harper were both looking uncomfortable just like he was. The Doctor walked over to them and asked, "Do you two feel strange in any way?"

"Yeah, I do actually," an eighteen year old Alex said.

"I do too," an eighteen year old Harper agreed, "How did you know?"

"Because I feel the same way," said the Doctor.

"Why?" asked Alex, "Why is it us three?"

"The only thing that I can think of is that something happened to us, but I am not exactly sure what it is," the Doctor said.

In the middle of the room, the White Guardian popped in out of nowhere. Everyone saw him and jumped or gasped when they were startled by his appearance out of nowhere. Jerry dropped the piece of cake he was eating and just stared. Theresa was just as shocked as her husband. She was about to get furious thinking this was a magical prank until the White Guardian said, "You three are heroes to all Creation."

The Doctor turned around and saw the White Guardian. He smile and said, "White Guardian!  
"Doctor," the Guardian replied. Theresa and Jerry calmed down when they realized it was

The Doctor and the White Guardian bear hugged each other and the Doctor said, "I haven't seen you since before the War and that was over 1300 years ago."

"Yes, Doctor, I know," the White Guardian told him.

Then the Doctor asked, "What do you mean that us three are heroes to all Creation?"

The White Guardian smiled and said, "You don't know this, but you three just went through a twenty year journey to reverse the destruction and death caused by the creators of the new Time Rift."

"Who created the new Rift?" asked the Doctor. If anyone knew, it would be the White Guardian.

The White Guardian looked at the Doctor and said, "The Daleks."  
The single banana that the Doctor did keep was crushed and popped when the Doctor clenched his fist at the mention of the Daleks. He asked, "How did they create the Rift?"

"Time Lord technology," the Guardian said. The mess the Doctor made with the banana vanished and the Guardian continued, "They stole it from your people."

"How long until they are back?" asked the Doctor.

"They're not back. The Rift is sealed. You sealed it," the Guardian told the Doctor.

"How?" asked the Doctor.

"The Key to Time," the Guardian told him. He looked up to Alex and Harper and said, "That is where all three of you succeeded and became heroes. You three saved everything from those monsters and my brother."

"Your what?" asked the Doctor.

"My brother, Doctor," the White Guardian, "You've met him. The Black Guardian."

"Your brother seems to cause all kinds of havoc," the Doctor said, "So back to what you were saying. The Rift is sealed and the Daleks aren't coming through."

"Correct," the White Guardian said, "Oh, and to show my gratitude." The White Guardian lifted his right hand towards the TARDIS and snapped his fingers.

"What did you do?" asked the Doctor.

"Your TARDIS has just received its 1000 year inspection," the White Guardian said.

"Thank you," the Doctor said.

The White Guardian nodded his head and he walked towards Alex and put his hand on her forehead. Alex felt a rush of cold air pass through her. The White Guardian said, "You're free. Now it's in Princess Astria of Astros."

The Doctor walked up and asked, "Was she part of it?"

The White Guardian smiled and then vanished, but he did say something else, "This is not the last time you will see me, Doctor."

Everyone in the room looked at the Doctor and he just smiled at them. He went on the explain, "He is the White Guardian of Peace and Balance. His twin brother, the Black Guardian, is the Guardian of Chaos and Destruction. That's not important. What is important is that these two ladies are graduating high school. It's not about me. This is about them so let's celebrated their achievements shall we."  
Alex jumped in and said, "The Doctor's right. Why don't we all just forget what just happened and continue with the party as if nothing happened."

"Yeah, what she said," the Doctor added crossing his arms.

"I'd like to, but what are you?" asked Ernesto to the Doctor.

"Okay, I'll be short and to the point," the Doctor said, "I am a time traveling alien from a race of beings called Time Lords from the Gallifrey in the Kasterborous Galaxy."

Ernesto started to laugh thinking it was a joke until he saw the Doctor and the Russos and he said, "You're serious."

"Yes," said the Doctor, "Not to mention I am nearly 2300 years old, but, as I said, this party is not about me. It about these two people here so lets get this thing rolling shall we?"

"Yes," said Theresa, "It's not about him. It's about my two daughters graduating."

Jerry whispered to Theresa and asked, "You do know Harper is not our daughter right?"

"Just let me enjoy the moment," Theresa replied, but didn't break her gaze from the girls.

"Okay," Jerry said.

The party went on like it was supposed to happen after the incident with the White Guardian was over. The Doctor gave Alex the key to the TARDIS and she ran and jumped at him. He caught her. When that was over, the Doctor gave Harper her gift. Everyone else gave their gifts to the girls.

The party ended and the guests went home several hours later. The Doctor was hording all the bananas that were left over and he was going to put them in the TARDIS kitchen. Alex came up to him and asked, "Have you always been obsessed with bananas?"

The Doctor thought about it and said, "No, the obsession's new."

Alex smiled and turned around. She saw her family and Harper staring at the two of them. They wanted answers. Alex elbowed the Doctor. He complained and turned around. He saw Jerry had his arms crossed. Theresa had her hands on her hips. Justin was like his dad. Max was, well, he was Max. Harper was sitting down in a chair. All of them had an expectant look there faces.

"Who was that, Doctor?" asked Jerry, "Who was that man that appeared out of nowhere?"

"That was the White Guardian," the Doctor said.

"I know a lot about magical creatures and I have never heard of the White Guardian," Jerry said.

"To be fair, Jerry, you never heard of a Time Lord before I showed up," the Doctor said.

"Okay, you got me on that one, but what is the White Guardian?" asked Jerry.

"It is one of the six Guardians of Time or as other beings called them the Six Fold God. You met the White Guardian of Peace and Balance. His twin brother is the Black Guardian of Chaos and Destruction. The White Guardian is the older twin. The other four Guardians are the Crystal Guardian, the Red Guardian, the Azure Guardian, and the Gold Guardian. Those four Guardians are weak compared to the twins with the White Guardian being the strongest. There is actually a legend saying that there are only five Guardians now. There are stories that Red Guardian of Justice vanished from the others, but like all stories about the Guardians it is hard to separate the truth from myth," the Doctor revealed.

"What are the other Guardians the guardians of?" asked Jerry.

"The Crystal Guardian of Dream, the Azure Guardian of Equilibrium and the Gold Guardian of Life," the Doctor said, "Obviously I've met the twins, but other than that I have only met the Crystal Guardian of Dream. He took on the moniker of the Celestial Toymaker and I met him way back in my first life. I met the other two in my fourth life. I want to meet the other three, but I don't know if I will."

"How do you know about them?" asked Justin, "If they are that powerful, how would someone like us and you know about them?"

"Because all Lord Presidents of Gallifrey have to have the Guardians of Time revealed to them. I made Lord President in my fourth life and kept it up until my seventh life with a brief coup during my sixth life. Romana was my successor. If anyone had to be my successor, I am glad it was her," the Doctor's face lit up when he spoke of Romana.

Jerry knew that face. He didn't want to overstep his boundaries, but he asked, "Who was she, Doctor? Who was Romana?"

"She was a Time Lady who traveled with me for a long time. We grew close to each and well, eventually, we fell in love with each other. I was going to ask her to marry me, but then the War came and, let's just say, the War took priority," the Doctor said.

"I though you were somewhat of a pacifist," Theresa said.

"Not for me," the Doctor said, "It was Romana. She was the Lady President before the War and throughout most of the War. She regenerated from her laid back second incarnation to her more battle torn and world weary third incarnation. That life was more worried about the War than anything else, but she mellowed when I was made her Vice President. The War made us grow closer and..."

"That's okay, Doctor, you don't have to tell the whole story," Jerry said.

The Doctor couldn't speak. He was choking on his own words and he went into the TARDIS and locked to doors it. He looked around the concert hall and he shook his head. He pressed a button that changed it to the cave that had been the TARDIS interior in the other time line. The Doctor sat in a control chair that appeared next to the console.

The door creaked and the Doctor looked up and saw Alex coming in. He looked at her and said, "Alex, I just want to be left alone right now."

"No, Doctor!" Alex snapped. That caught the Doctor off guard. Alex went on, "You hide your emotions and bury them down deep. You never let anyone else know about what you have been through. You then let them erupt on your enemies or even sometimes us. Doctor, you need to talk about it. You need to get it out of you and now is the best time. Your emotions are open, Doctor. Let it out."

The Doctor looked at her and said, "I know, but it's the way I am."

"Then break the cycle, Doctor," Alex said. She sat down next to the Doctor on a secondary seat that came up right next to the Doctor. Alex repeated, "Break the cycle."

The Doctor nodded and said, "I loved her, Alex. I loved her with all of my hearts and she was taken away from me in fire and bloodlust. I can't get her out of my mind." The Doctor started crying and decided to take Alex's advice. He leaned on Alex and let it out.

After several minutes, the Doctor sat up and told her, "Thank you, but that was more baggage than just her. I think if there is someone who can pull me out of my own darkness, it's you Alex Russo."

"What?" asked Alex.

"You are the one that can bring me out of my darkness," said the Doctor, "I've lost so much in my life. My emotions and psyche are all torn apart and healed, but I have holes in my hearts, and I need someone to help fill them because I have tried to find things to help me, but nothing's helped. Actually, your family and yourself have started to fill those holes."

"Thank you," Alex said.

"You're welcome," the Doctor said. He grabbed her head and kissed her forehead. He then changed the subject and asked, "How do you like the new TARDIS interior?"

Alex looked around and said, "I can get used to it."

"Good," the Doctor said. He jumped and Alex jumped up. He turned around to face her and said, "We leave after you graduate. Not before."

Alex couldn't contain her excitement and said, "Oh okay!"

The Doctor took Alex's hand and they walked to the TARDIS doors.


	24. Graduation

**Chapter 24: Graduation**

**June 5, 2011**

The Doctor watched from the teachers section in the Tribeca Prep High School auditorium. It was announced that he would not be returning to the school for another year of teaching art. People were sad to see him go. He was a favorite of most of the students there. The Doctor listened as the Valedictorian and Salutatorian gave their speeches to the Class of 2011. The Doctor listened as every name was called and he applauded loudly when Harper was announced and even louder when Alex was announced. The whole thing seemed to fly by for everyone who was there. Before anyone knew it, Mr. Laritate spoke into the microphone and said, "Everyone give a big round of applause for the Tribeca Prep Class of 2011."

The entire auditorium burst out in celebration. When it was all over, the Doctor left and was approached by Laritate. Laritate said, "Well, Doctor, it's been one interesting year."

"You have no idea," the Doctor said, "I hope you find a good replacement for me."

"Don't your worry yourself over that one," Laritate said, "I will."

"That's good," the Doctor said, "And I wanted to thank you for keeping me around even though you found out I was an alien on my first day."

"Call it an act of faith," the principle said, "And it was an act of faith that was paid off dearly in the end."

"Thank you," the Doctor said.

"I hope you have a good life traveling, Doctor," Laritate said.

"I will, and you stay this school's principle as long as you possibly can," the Doctor told Laritate.

"Oh I will," Laritate said. The two of them shook hands and then gave each other a goodbye hug.

"See you around, Laritate," the Doctor said.

"I'll be looking for you," Laritate said.

The Doctor smiled and then he walked off to be with the two graduates. He walked up to the Russos, Harper and K-9 and asked, "How does it feel to be free?"

"Amazing," Alex said.

"That's good," the Doctor said. He took out a camera and said, "Let's all get a picture."

"Okay," said Jerry.

The Doctor placed the camera and the seven of them got into frame. Max was crouching on the ground in front of Harper and Justin who were to the left. Alex and the Doctor were in the middle. Jerry and Theresa were at the right with K-9 at their feet. The camera snapped the photo and everyone agreed it was a great picture to have.

After the whole thing ended, they were leaving and the Doctor said, "You guys go on. I need to talk to Justin for a minute."

"Okay, are you sure?" asked Theresa.

"Yes, I'm sure," the Doctor said.

"I'm not sure," Justin said.

"Don't worry, Justin," the Doctor said. He wasn't as confrontational and Justin conceded. The others left along with K-9. The Doctor and Justin started walking back to the Wavelry Sub Station.

"What did you want to talk to me about, Doctor?" asked Justin.

The Doctor didn't look at him and said, "I know that the last year of college for you wasn't that good. It's not because it was too hard for you. It was because you didn't feel challenged by it. You are a smart person, a genius even, but you are starting to get bored with the same routine time after time again. Am I right?"

Justin thought about it for a minute and he said, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Why?"

"I have an alternative for you for next year," the Doctor said.

"What is it?" asked Justin.

"You still are interested in aliens and robots and doing things like that right?" asked the Doctor.

"Of course," Justin said, "What are you getting at?"

"I'm getting at this," the Doctor said, "I got in touch with General Osage and your clearance has been given to you already. All they need is your signature."

Justin's heart rate increased and he asked, "Signature for what?"

"To become a trainee scientist at UNIT," the Doctor said, "UNIT has been briefed of your magic and they won't tell anyone. They have had stranger this things than that, but I could tell you wanted to do something like that and now's your chance. I know it's not big, but if you just keep doing what you are doing, you will advance fast."

Justin stopped in his tracks and he couldn't believe it. All those things that Alex had made fun of him for doing when he was younger was actually going to be his job if he agreed to it. He loved doing that stuff and he wasn't going to let this opportunity pass him by. He replied, "Where's the paperwork?"

"I'll give it to you when we get to the sub station," the Doctor said, "But that's not all."

"That's not all?" asked Justin. He was already floating on clouds.

"I heard you once had a dog when you little and it ran away," the Doctor said.

Justin sank as he remembered that dog, "Yes, I did."  
"Then the dragon dog thing just vanished," the Doctor said.

"Yes," Justin was hoping the Doctor would pick him back up.

"Justin, I have no need for him anymore. He was a great companion, but I only recently just took him out of storage and I haven't used him much. I think he'll be better use to you," the Doctor said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Justin, I want you to have K-9," the Doctor told him, "I've already talked to him about it and he would be more than happy to go with you."

Justin shot right back up. First a job at a place that deals with aliens, robots and science where he won't have to hide his powers and now a dog, a robot dog that can communicate with him. This was amazing and he asked, "Why are you doing this for me?"

"I've been too hard on you, Justin and this is my apology," said the Doctor.

"No one has ever done so much just to apologize," Justin said, "Your apology is accepted."

"Thank you," the Doctor said, "Now let's get home."

They made their way back to the sub station and the Doctor walked in and saw Alex was already ready to go. The Doctor looked at her and looked at the rest of the family and Harper. He nodded and said, "Okay, here comes the infamous question: Who wants to come with me? I know you do Alex, but anyone else."  
"Yes!" Harper yelled, "I want to go with you."

"Really?" asked the Doctor he was surprised, "Okay, anyone else?"

Everyone was content just to stay home. The Doctor nodded and said, "You two be ready to go by tomorrow. We'll say one last good bye and then we'll be off."

As the day finished, Justin told everyone what the Doctor did for him and they celebrated. Jerry and Theresa thanked the Doctor for all he had done in their lives over the past year. They were so grateful and honored to meet him. Max was not his random and stupid self. He knew what the Doctor had done for him and he thanked him as well. Harper packed and was getting ready for the trips to come. Alex was just waiting for the next day to come as soon as possible.

As June 6th rolled in, everyone was saying their good byes for one last time. Harper said good bye to her surrogate family and went aboard the TARDIS first. Alex went up to her parents and said, "Goodbye Mom and Dad, I'll miss you."

"We'll miss you too," Jerry said.

"Be safe, Mija," Theresa told her daughter.

"I will be," said Alex. She went up to Justin and said, "Good luck with UNIT."

"Thank you, Alex," Justin said. The two hugged and Alex said good bye to Max and she went aboard the TARDIS too. The Doctor told her he'd be a minute.

The Doctor looked at the four of them and said, "I'll take care of them. I promise you guys."

"I believe you, Doctor," said Theresa.

"As do I," Jerry agreed with his wife.

The Doctor looked at Justin and said, "Have a great time in UNIT."

"I will," Justin replied.

The Doctor looked at Max and said, "Max, don't stop being Max."

"Got it!" Max said excitedly.

"Good bye everybody," the Doctor said and he shut the door of the TARDIS. He saw Alex and Harper standing there. He put one arm around Alex's shoulders and the other over Harper's shoulders. He said, "Let's go."

"Where?" asked Alex.

"I don't know," the Doctor said, "That's the fun of being in the TARDIS."

The Doctor bounded away from those two and said, "Goodbye Waverly Place. Hello everywhere!" He pulled a lever and the TARDIS dematerialized.

Outside, Jerry, Theresa, Max, Justin and K-9 all watched as the TARDIS started to dematerialize. The vworping sound repeated several times and eventually the blue public police call box was gone.

Jerry looked at Theresa and said, "Our girls are now out there somewhere exploring the universe."

"It feels so strange doesn't it," Theresa said.

"Yes, it does, but I am so proud of them," Jerry said.

"So am I, Honey. So am I," Theresa said.

Everybody knows that everybody dies, and nobody knows it like the Doctor, but I do think that all the skies of all the worlds might just turn dark if ever for just one moment accepts it. Everybody knows that everybody dies, but not everyday, not today. Somedays are special. Somedays are so, so blessed. Somedays nobody dies at all. Now and then, every once is very long while, everyday in a million days when the wind stands fare and the Doctor comes to call, everybody lives.

**The End**


End file.
